Flavors Of The East Distinctive Herbs, Spices Give Thai Dishes Outstanding Taste

Thailand is a country of amazing diversity; no single phrase or word can truly encapsulate its essence. Nothing quite conjures up the unique melange of big city bustle, the beauty of the countryside, the warmth and gentleness of the people, the magnificence of the palaces and temples, the intense excitement of the food. The kaleidoscopic mixture that is one of Asia’s leading “Little Dragons” firmly defies all attempts at glib description.

Thailand is a “come back” country - a first visit only serves to whet the appetite for more. Thai food possesses the same magnetic appeal. Exotic, distinctive and virtually irresistible, it is a unique hybrid of southeastern Asian and Indian influences that is still somehow completely individual.

Like most countries, Thailand has two levels of cookery - elegant and everyday. The different regions also have their own distinctive cuisines, but a national thread weaves its way throughout the country. Chiang Mai in the North, for example, has milder food than the central plains. In the south, curries hold sway while the northeast is closest to its gastronomic roots.

Bangkok is one of the great eating cities of the world. Intense traffic fumes notwithstanding, snacking in the streets has been elevated to an art form, and powerfully attractive smells assail the nostrils at every turn. Considering such constant temptation, it’s a miracle that the Thais manage to retain their enviably slim figures.

Countless food stalls line the streets of the city. At the colorful weekend markets, peripatetic cooks with their portable stoves serve up expertly prepared and unforgettable meals in three minutes flat. Or, if your fancy is for meals on keels, kitchen boat chefs at the floating market at Damnoen Saduak deftly concoct succulent bowls of noodles richly embellished with the accompaniments of your choice.

What makes Thai food so distinctive is the use of herbs and spices, and in particular, three basic ingredients: cilantro (coriander) root, which is used as an ingredient both in cooking and in marinades; cilantro leaves, which are used for cooking and garnishing; and nam pla, a pungent fish sauce that adds saltiness and helps to enhance the flavors of other foods.

Spices and herbs are the mainstays of Thai cuisine for two reasons. First, they stimulate appetites that fade away under the onslaught of the hot, humid climate, and second, they make everything taste superb.

Apart from cilantro, the most commonly used spice and herbs are turmeric, peppercorns, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, lemon grass, sweet basil and a ginger-like root called kha (galangal). Chiles are also a mainstay and play a major role in an endless assortment of spicy, hot and very hot curries, dips and salads.

Thai meals revolve around rice, which is eaten three times a day. Thailand is one of the greatest ricegrowing nations in the world and its inhabitants mainly prefer the polished long grain variety. Rice is usually cooked to a slightly sticky consistency by the absorption method but in the north where the glutinous type is highly prized, steaming is favored.

A typical Thai dinner comprises rice plus five or more dishes. These would include soup, a steamed or grilled dish, a fried dish, a salad, and hot sauces for flavoring the vegetables, meat and fish. Curries are almost as much a staple as rice and at least one curry dish is served at most dinners. Most of the dishes served are placed on the tables at the same time and shared by all.

The Thais do not use chopsticks. In former times, most Thais ate with their fingers, but these days preference is given to a large spoon and fork. China bowls, plates and platters are the most common serving containers in Thailand today. Individual lacquer serving trays, each with its own conical hood, were formerly used, but these days such elegance is mainly reserved for special occasions and religious offerings.

The main cooking techniques used are stir-frying, boiling, stewing and broiling (grilling). Stir-frying, the most popular method, obviously echoes a Chinese note, and the Thais also use woks and bowl-like pans. As in all Asian cuisines, foods to be stirfried are slivered or cut to bite-size pieces, and cooking times are brief. Fish and vegetables are boiled, and stewing is mainly employed in the preparation of curries. Broiling (grilling) over charcoal is popular for satay-like dishes of chicken, pork, seafood and meat.

The Thais particularly relish soups. They are served in charcoal braziers resembling Mongolian firepots and do not begin the meal, but are offered with the other dishes. Chicken and eggs enjoy wide popularity and there is an enormous choice of fish and seafood from the more than 3,000 miles of mainland seacoast.

The superstar of Thai cuisine is curry. Thai curries come in white, yellow, red, orange and green, each color reflecting a different combination of spices and herbs. Every household has a mortar and pestle (or food processor or blender if they are affluent) for grinding together the various herbs and spices. The most exquisite Thai curries have a subtle, though spicy, flavor.

The Thais are also enthusiastic eaters of desserts and sweetmeats, a predilection said to be the legacy of Portuguese missionaries and traders. The emphasis is very much on the use of fruits, eggs and coconut milk. “Foithong,” which is enormously popular, is made by cooking beaten egg in simmering sugar syrup. Fried bananas in coconut cream and various custards are other simple favorites, as is sticky rice cooked in coconut milk.

If Thai sweetmeats are in a class by themselves, so are their fruits. The intensity of flavors simply defies description. Small sweet bananas, luscious perfumed mangoes, custard apples, pineapples, juicy watermelons, mangosteens, deep orange pawpaws, thirst-quenching rambutans, pomelos and rose apples all exhibit a level of sweetness and ripeness virtually unknown elsewhere. It hardly ranks as a deprivation that, in spite of their sweet tooth, most Thais choose to round off a meal with fruit rather than a sticky dessert.

Ann Creber and Margaret Olds are the authors of the newly released “The World’s Finest Food,” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), from which this article is excerpted.

Tom Kaha Gai

(Chicken and Coconut Milk Soup)

Soup is an important component of a Thai meal. It is usually served at the same time as a number of other dishes, rather than as a separate course in the Western way. Diners eat it from individual bowls or spoon it over the rice on their plate, as they wish - either way is acceptable. Coconut milk adds a delicate creaminess to this aromatic soup from Bangkok and the surrounding central plains.

It is sometimes possible to buy fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves from Asian supermarkets, but if these are unavailable, an equal quantity of dried leaves is an acceptable substitute. If necessary, you can use leaves from an ordinary lime tree in the soup, and garnish with cilantro.

3 cups coconut milk

2 cups water

4 lemon grass stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths and crushed

3 large chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into bite-sized portions

4 small red chiles, seeded and thinly sliced

1/4 cup lime juice, plus extra if needed

1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (nam pla)

1 tablespoon thinly sliced galangal (can be purchased in Asian food markets)

2 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces, plus

4 more for garnish

Mix together coconut milk and water in large saucepan. Add lemon grass. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and add chicken, chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, galangal and 2 kaffir lime leaves.

Simmer over medium heat until chicken is cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste to check flavor, and add a little extra lime juice if tarter flavor is preferred. Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish each with a kaffir lime leaf.

Yield: 4 servings.

Massaman Neua

(Massaman Beef Curry)

This rich, mild curry originated in the far south of Thailand where it borders Malaysia. It is the mildest of Thai curries. The choice of spices, the inclusion of potatoes and the lengthy cooking time all reflect the influence of Indian migrants - the Muslims for whom Massaman Beef Curry was named. This recipe is popular with Thai Muslims, who prefer it to the more typical Thai curries. Chicken may be substituted for the beef if preferred; in that case, simply reduce the initial simmering time from 2 hours to 50 to 60 minutes.

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 pounds round or buttock steak, diced

4 cups coconut milk

2 to 3 tablespoons Massaman Curry Paste

4 small potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 onions, sliced

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)

2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar

Hot steamed rice

Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add meat and stir-fry about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours.

Place curry paste in separate small pan along with cup cooking liquid from meat. Cook several minutes. Stir paste mixture into meat. Add potatoes, onions, peanuts, fish sauce and palm sugar and simmer 20 minutes. Transfer curry to serving bowl and serve with steamed rice.

Yield: 4 servings.

Massaman Curry Paste:

10 large dried red chiles

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 shallots, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped galangal (can be purchased in Asian food markets)

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

small lemon grass stalk, finely chopped

6 cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons oil

6 cardamom pods

4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Prepare chiles by soaking in water 20 minutes. Drain. Seed and mince or finely chop chiles.

Brown garlic and shallots in dry pan over low heat about 3 minutes. Add seeded and chopped chiles and stir-fry over low heat about 3 minutes, being careful not to allow ingredients to burn.

Transfer mixture to mortar and pestle or food processor. Add galangal, caraway seeds, lemon grass, cloves, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg and grind together to form paste.

Heat oil over low heat. Add cardamom pods, bay leaves and shrimp paste and cook 2 minutes. Add prepared paste and cook 1 minute, stirring well. Store in refrigerator (up to 12 months) in tightly sealed container. Remove cardamom pods and bay leaves before using.

Yield: About cup.

Khao Neow Mamuang

(Mango With Sticky Rice Pudding)

In Thailand, as in most of Southeast Asia, everyday meals traditionally conclude with fresh fruit. Desserts, like this famous one from the northern region, are reserved for special meals. Many dessert recipes are based on sweetened rice and coconut cream, slightly salted to maintain the balance of flavors. This dish is usually served at room temperature and is often varied by using different exotic fruits such as rambutans, longans or lychees.

Choose the ripest fruit you can find. The sweetness of the mango is complemented by the slightly salty coconut cream sauce.

2 cups sticky (glutinous) rice

3 cups water

1/4 cup palm sugar or brown sugar

2 large ripe mangoes

1 cup coconut cream

1/3 teaspoon salt

Rinse sticky rice twice, then drain well in colander. Place rice in medium saucepan with water. Bring to boil. Cook, uncovered, until rice is soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Peel mangoes and slice flesh. To serve, spoon rice onto serving dish. Whisk together coconut cream and salt and spoon over prepared rice. Arrange mango slices with rice.

Yield: 4 servings.

ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo