ASIAN CUISINE

THAI
KOREAN
VIETNAMESE
PHILIPPINE

CUISINE
CUISINE
CUISINE
CUISINE

Thai
Cuisine
Thai cuisineis the

nationalcuisineof
Thailand. Balance, detail,
and variety are of
paramount significance
to Thai chefs.

A Thai meal is a visual

experience as well as an
olfactory one. The
presentation of many dishes
is colourful and rich in varied
textures. The attractiveness
of the food, the richness of
the flavours and the
emphasis in communal
enjoyment of the meal make

Regional cuisines and

historical influences

Thai cuisine is more

accurately described
as four regional
cuisines,
corresponding to the
four main regions of
the country:

Central Thaicuisine of the flat and wet central

rice-growingplains and ofBangkok, site of the
former Thai kingdoms ofSukhothaiand Ayutthaya,
and theDvaravaticulture of theMon peoplefrom
before the arrival ofTai groupsin the area.

Isanor northeastern Thai cuisine of the more arid

Khorat Plateau, similar inculture to Laosand also
influenced byKhmer cuisineto its south, as
evidenced by the temple ruins from the time of
theKhmer Empire.

Northern Thaicuisine of the verdant valleys and

cool, forested mountains of theThai highlands,
once ruled by the formerLanna Kingdomand
home to the majority of the
ethnic groups of Thailand.
Southern Thaicuisine of theKra Isthmuswhich is
bordered on two sides by tropical seas, with its
many islands and including theethnic Malay,
formerSultanate of Pattaniin the deep south.

SERVING

Thai food was traditionally

eaten with the right hand
while seated on mats or
carpets on the floor,
customs still found in the
more traditional
households.

Phat thai kung

Thai meal in a village temple

A plate of raw vegetables and herbs, together withnam

phrikkapi, is
often served as a free complimentary dish atsouthern Thai
eaterie

Ingredients

Thai food is known for its enthusiastic

use of fresh (rather than dried)herbs
andspices. Common flavors in Thai food
come from garlic, galangal,
coriander/cilantro, lemon grass, shallots,
pepper, kaffir limeleaves, shrimp paste,
fish sauce, and chilies.Palm sugar, made
from the sap of certainBorassuspalms,
is used to sweeten dishes whilelimeand
tamarindcontribute sour notes.

Ingredients, green curry paste

Pla thuat a market

Rice, noodles and starches

Khanom chin, freshly made Thai Khao niao (sticky rice), served with
som tam (papaya salad) and kai yang
rice noodles
(grilled chicken) as part of a typical
Isanmeal

Vietnamese
Cuisine

Traditional Vietnamese cooking is

greatly admired for its fresh

ingredients, minimal use of dairy and
oil, complementary textures, and
reliance on herbs and vegetables. With
the balance between fresh herbs and
meats and a selective use of spices to
reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food is
considered one of the healthiest
cuisines worldwide.

Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by the Asian

principle offive elementsandMahbhta.
Elements

Corresponden
ce
Spices (ng
v)

Wood
Sour

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

Bitter

Sweet

Spicy

Salty

Organs (ng
Gall bladder
tng)

Small
intestine

Stomach

Large intestine

Urinary
bladder

Colors (ng
sc)

Red

Yellow

White

Black

Taste

Touch

Smell

Soun
d

Protein

Minerals

Water

Green

Senses (ng
Visual
gic)
Nutrients
(ng cht)

Carbohydrates Fat

Vietnamese Food
\

Cha ca La Vong

Bun cha

Common ingredients
Vegetables

Bitter melon(kh
qua or mp ng
(northern
Vietnamese
dialect))
Bok choy(ci tha)
Cabbage(ci bp)
Carrot(c rt)
Cauliflower(sp
lorbng ci)
Ceylon spinach
(mng ti)

Chayote(su su)
Chili pepper(t)
Cucumber(da leo)
Crown daisy(ci
ccortn )
Daikon(c ci
trng)
Eggplant(c tm)
Jicama(c uorc
sn)

Hemlock water
dropwort (rau cn
ta)
Katuk(rau ngt)
Joseph's coat(rau
dn )
Tonkin jasmine(hoa
thin l)
Water cress(ci
xoong)
Water spinach(rau
mung)

Fruits

Acerola(s riorxri)
Buddha's hand(pht
th)
Canistel(tri trng
g)
Cherimoya(mng
cu ty)
Coconut(da)
Chinese date(to
tu)
Custard apple(bnh
btormng cu)
Durian(su ring)
milk fruit(v sa)
Guava(i)
Jackfruit(mt)

Langsat(bn bon)
Longan(long nhn)
Lychee(vi)
Mango(xoi)
Mangosteen(mng
ct)
Otaheite gooseberry
(chm rut)
Papaya(u )
Persimmon(hng)
Pitaya dragon fruit
(thanh long)
Plum(mn)
Pomelo(bi)

Rambutan(chm
chm)
Sapodilla(hng
ximorxa-p-ch)
Spondias
cytherea(cc)
Soursop(mng cu
Xim)
Star fruit(kh)
Sweetsop
(naormng cu ta)
Rose apple(roiin the
north,mn Ltin
the south)
Tea Fruit(thanh tr)
Tomato (c chua)
Water apple(roiin

Herbs (rau thm)

GenusAllium:
Using leaf and flower:
Welsh onionor green onion
(hnh lorhnh
hngorhnh hoa),
garlic chives(h)
Using bulb: garlic (ti),shallot
(hnh tm), onion (hnh ty),
Allium chinense(c kiu) and
chives(c nnorhnh tm).
Welsh onion (hng c) and
leek(ti tyorhnh boar)
are not traditionally used.
FamilyZingiberaceae: usingginger
(gng),galangal(ring)-
greater galangal(ring np) is
preferred tolesser galangal(ring
thuc) because of the stronger
flavour,turmeric(ngh) and
black cardamom(tho qu)

Polygonum aviculare(rau ng)

Coriander leaf (cilantro)(rau
ngorng r)
Lemongrass(xors)
Dill(th l)
Elsholtzia ciliata(kinh gii)
Long coriander/culantro(ng gai)
Rice paddy herb(ng m)
Houttuynia cordata(gip cordip
c)

Basket, various kinds

(r or r) utensils
Vietnamese
Bowl (small bowl: bt in northern Vietnam or chn in southern Vietnam; large bowl: t)
Chopsticks (a)
Ch- a kind of steamer to cookglutinous rice
Clay pot cooking (th t)
cup (cc or ly)
Dipper (go)
Flat drying basket (nong or nia)
Knife (dao)
Mill (ci xay go)
Mortar (ci gi)
Pestle (chy)
Plate (da or a)
Pot, various kinds (ni and niu)
Spoon (tha in northern Vietnam ormung in southern Vietnam)
Teacup (tch or chn ung tr)
Teapot (m pha tr)
Tray, various kinds (mm and khay)