Center of Attention
Home to the former kingdoms of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya as well as to the bustle of present-day Bangkok, central Thailand is also where you’ll find royal Thai cuisine, a culinary tradition known for its refined use of ingredients and techniques. Expect such dishes to be carefully spiced and ornately prepared and presented.
The low, flat central region also encompasses the country’s wet rice-growing plains, with many recipes designed to be paired with non-glutinous jasmine rice. It’s for this reason that some of central Thailand’s most applauded dishes are those that we most commonly see served at Thai restaurants around the world. The three most popular curries from central Thailand have a coconutmilk base and include green curry, usually made with seafood or chicken; a hot red curry known as kaeng phet; and a milder, creamier version called kaeng phanaeng.
Tangy salads known as yam (“mixed”) are a central Thai invention. There are many varieties of yam, but ingredients they all have in common are shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and fresh or dried chilies. Popular incarnations of the dish include yam nuea yang (with sliced grilled beef), yam tale (mixed seafood), and yam wunsen (glass noodles). Tom yam, that globally loved, aromatic spicy and sour soup, is from the Thai heartland as well; it’s often made with coconut milk (tom yam nam khon) and prawns.
Central Thai cuisine is also distinguished by an abundance of fish and prawns from the mighty Chao Phraya, the “River of Kings.” Giant river prawns native to this part of the country are used in grilled dishes such as kung pao, while haw mok pla sees fish, spices, coconut milk, and egg steamed in a banana-leaf cup and topped with thick coconut cream before serving. Oysters from coastal towns along the Gulf of Thailand make an appearance in delicious crispy omelets known as hoy tod.
Chinese flavors and cooking techniques are evident in many central Thai dishes, from kai phat met mamuang himmaphan (Sichuan-style chicken with chilies and cashews) to salapao (steamed buns) and various wok-fried meat and vegetable meals.