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Thailand is, in addition to the famous smile, also the country with a special and delicious food culture. Thai cuisine is world famous and very varied. You can eat on the street at a stall and it is very cheap.

Street dishes, or street food, are meals and snacks sold by street vendors in public places such as markets, streets and alleys. In Thailand, street food is extremely popular, both with locals and tourists.

The popularity of street food in Thailand is due to the rich flavors and diversity of the dishes, which offer a mix of sweet, sour, salty and spicy. In addition, street dishes in Thailand are affordable and accessible to everyone, which contributes to their popularity. The fast and casual dining culture makes it easy for people to grab a meal on the go, and the social atmosphere around street vendors creates a unique experience for locals and tourists alike. Tasting street food in Thailand is often seen as an indispensable part of a visit to the country and offers an authentic introduction to the local food culture.

Food plays an important role in Thai daily life. Just like with us in the west, a Thai eats three times a day. Thai people do eat more snacks or snacks, which is not that difficult because the offer is really huge. Whatever you like, from fruit to fried foods, everything is available on the side of the road. When people are around, there is food. Not only the offer is overwhelming, also the variety.

Roadside food stalls also come in many varieties. From hand carts, bicycles, mopeds, tricycles to a wooden plank on two trestles. If you think that eating on the side of the road is unhygienic, that is a misconception. The street cook brings his cart home late in the evening or night and everything is thoroughly cleaned there.

Lad Nah

The food on the side of the road is not only incredibly cheap, but almost always tastes delicious. Often even better than in a restaurant. Some street vendors are even so good that you have to be patient before your turn. The food on the street is certainly not only for the poor Thai. Don't expect a menu or anything. Usually there isn't. In many cases they only offer one dish, just their specialty.

The street food offers you a wide variety of options such as green or red curie, fried rice, noodle dishes, stir fry, vegetables, salads, fresh fruits, desserts, etc. Too many to list. In Chinatown, you can even eat grilled lobster on the street for a reasonable price.

Would you like to try something different? Fried frogs, water beetles, locusts and other insects are also available.

If you don't know what to choose. Especially for the readers of Thailand blog I have put together a top 10 of Thai street dishes. I even dare to say that you can eat these dishes better on the street than in a restaurant. Simply because it tastes better.

  1. I'm there – a spicy salad of unripe shredded papaya with peanuts and tomatoes.
  2. larb – spicy minced meat with chopped shallots, onions, pepper and coriander.
  3. Khao Mun Gai – steamed chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock and garlic.
  4. Jok – Rice dish with pork, fresh ginger and green onion (sometimes with egg).
  5. Lad Nah – fried noodles with a bean sauce and Chinese cabbage.
  6. Hi Tod – fried oysters in egg batter on a bed of bean sprouts.
  7. pad Thai – rice or noodles with egg, dried shrimps and fried bean curd sprinkled with peanuts (served with bean sprouts).
  8. Satay – chicken or pork pieces grilled on a stick, served with sauce and cucumber.
  9. Khao Moo Daeng – red pork with rice, boiled eggs and cucumber according to Chinese recipe.
  10. Khao Tom – rice soup with a selection of meat and vegetable dishes.

There is so much more to the street than this top ten. Because it also costs almost nothing, you can just try it out, if you don't like it, then try something else. However, it is useful to ask when ordering whether they do not make the dish too sharp. Thai use of those little red chili peppers which are quite spicy. Order your dish “mai phet” or “mai ow phet”, which means “not spicy”.

What you should definitely try is Thai noodle soup, you will recognize the stalls from a distance. You get a delicious meal soup with everything on it. It fills well and it really costs nothing.

larb

In addition to the street vendors, there is another special group that sell delicious Thai dishes. You will not find them on the street, but on the water. On the water? Of course. In Thailand and in Bangkok you have many waterways, they call these channels in Thailand; Klongs. On the Klongs you will find vendors who paddle past with a boat and offer food. You can buy fresh vegetables, fruits, noodle dishes, curies, and much more. The quality is as good as street vendors.

If you go to Thailand and avoid street food, you are really missing out. It's an open secret that the food on the street is often just as good or sometimes better than in a posh and expensive restaurant. The restaurants are mainly for tourists. Most Thais buy the food from their favorite food stall. It's fresh, cheap and good.

The next time you smell the delicious food on the street in Thailand, stop by and try it. You will not only be amazed by the fantastic taste, but also by the friendly Thai people who prepare it for you with great care and craftsmanship.

10 Responses to “Top 10 Street Foods in Thailand”

  1. Rob V says up

    The above top 10 with Dutch phonetics and Thai script:

    1. ส้มตำ – sôm-tam
    2. ลาบ – lâap
    3. ข้าวมันไก่ – khâaw man kài. Literally: “rice oil/chicken fat”
    4. โจ๊ก – tjóok
    5. ราดหน้า – râad-nâa. Literally: “pouring/pouring face”
    6. หอยทอด – hǒi-thôt.
    7. ผัดไทย – phàt-thai
    8. สะเต๊ะ – sà-té (doesn't need any further explanation, right?)
    9. ข้าวหมูแดง – khâaw-mǒe-deng. Literally: “red rice pig”
    10. ข้าวต้ม – khâaw-tôm

    Those who don't want spicy (my preference goes out to authentic but to each his own), can say "mâi phèd" (falling tone, low tone, ไม่เผ็ด). Or completely without peppers: “mâi sài prík” (falling tone, low tone, high tone, ไม่ใส่พริก).

    And noodle soup is ก๋วยเตี๋ยวน้ำ, kǒeway-tǐejaw-náam (2x rising tone, high tone).

    • Andrew van Schaick says up

      But Rob V anyway,
      The first 2 have nothing to do with Thai food.
      Learned to watch and later learn to cook simple things in the Shangri La hotel.
      There I was taught that Som Tam (Tam bak hoeng) and Larp Esan are dishes.
      They cannot be ordered there.
      This says my wife who has learned to cook excellently.

      • Cornelis says up

        I read that it is about street food, not about what can or cannot be ordered in a five-star hotel?

  2. Hans says up

    Dear Rob V.

    Maybe a silly question, but how do you say you like original spicy food.
    Very often we as farang were given food without pepper and/or herbs, so it was very difficult to explain that you love Thai food.

    Sincerely, Hans.

    • Jacks says up

      Just say "chop phét", I like it spicy

      • Hans says up

        Dear Jack,

        Thanks, that's what I was looking for, greetings Hans

    • Rob V says up

      For example you can say:
      – ao phèd (na khá/khráp) – please spicy (please)
      – chôp (aahǎan) phéd (na khá/khráp) – I like spicy (food) (please)
      – tham aa-hǎan bèp thai (na khá/khráp) – make the food Thai way/style (please)

      Or “tham aa-hǎan bèp thai na khráp, phǒm chôp kin aa-hǎan phéd” (please prepare the food Thai way, I like spicy food”. // Women say “…na khá, chán…” instead of “… na khráp, phǒm…”

      Let's see what Google Translate makes of it:
      – i like spicy food -> ฉันชอบอาหารรสเผ็ด (chán chôp aa-hǎan phéd). Almost right, as a man you don't use “chán” here but “phǒm”. But the staff will surely understand you.
      – cook the Thai way -> ปรุงแบบไทยๆ (proeng beb Thai-Thai). Literally you ask here to prepare the (food) in a real Thai way. Will they also understand.

      • Rob V says up

        Incorrectly written “phéd” (high tone) instead of “phèd (low tone).

        For clarity, pronunciation by word:
        – ao phèd = medium tone, low tone
        – chôp (aahǎan) phèd (na khá/khráp) – falling tone (mid-rising tone), low tone (mid tone, high tone)
        – tham aa-hǎan bèp thai (na khá/khráp) – mean tone, mid rising tone, low tone, mid tone.

        But in context, and otherwise clearly articulated, they will also understand you if you mispronounce the tones.

  3. William Korat says up

    Load an app on your phone I would say, Hans
    There are many apps that you can set to any language, type your question / answer in Dutch and you can read it in Thai or press yes microphone and the program will express your wish.
    Your question/answer will also remain in the app for some, which is always handy.

    • Hans says up

      Dear William,

      Of course we use Google translate, but then you see the eyes widen from misunderstanding.
      Try translating a menu from Thai yourself, it's really fun.

      Thank you for your response, greetings Hans.


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