The Thammasat University Library has acquired a new book that should be useful for students interested in food science, cooking, business, economics, chemistry, molecular biology, sociology, folklore, and related subjects.

The Science of Thai Cuisine: Chemical Properties and Sensory Attributes is an ebook available in the TU Digital Collections.

The TU Library collection includes other books about many different aspects of Thai food and cooking.

The book is edited by Dr. Valeeratana Kalani Sinsawasdi, who has taught food science at Mahidol University; Dr. Nithiya Rattanapanone, Professor Emerita in Food Science and Technology at Chiang Mai University; and Dr. Holger Y. Toschka, a molecular biologist.

Their book:

• discusses the chemistry of ingredients and techniques in Thai cuisine with possibilities of application and innovation
• presents scientific research combined with arts and history of Thai food
• provides scientific evidence linking Thai food with the sensory perception of eating

It notes that in 2017, CNN

conducted a poll to vote for the world’s best foods. The campaign was well responded to, with more than 35,000 voters from the whole world giving their opinions on what they thought was the best dish. Although, out of the 50 dishes on the final list, Thai food was not ranked at the top, it astonishingly occupied the most places on the list with seven dishes. The dishes, ranked according to the highest number of votes, were tom-yumkoong (spicy soup with shrimp), pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles), som-tum (spicy green papaya salad), massaman curry (gaeng-mut-sa-mun), green curry (gaeng-keow-wan), fried rice (khao-pud), and moo-nam-tog (spicy pork salad). However, when the list was updated in 2019 and 2021, the massaman curry ranked first. The other two dishes on the list were som-tum (spicy green papaya salad) and tom-yum-koong (spicy soup with shrimp).

As per another CNN feature on this topic, Thailand was listed among the top ten countries with the best food. It is not only famous for providing fine dining in a restaurant, but also for providing comparatively cheap foods by mobile vendors. Bangkok was listed as the best city in the world for the availability of street food.

Recommended dishes from the street of Bangkok are, for example, pad thai (stir-fried rice noodle), hoy-tod (oyster crispy omelet), and chicken noodle soup. Bangkok was ranked number 3 on the list of the top cities for dining in tourists spending on foods, indicating Thailand’s food tourism trend. […]

According to Thai people. a great Thai meal is a pure and honest reflection of the countries’ long and unique history, geographical location, climate, and biological diversity. These mixtures of factors help one to build the unique and very distinctive Thai food tradition that nowadays is easily distinguishable from other national cuisines.

Although it is generally known as Thai cuisine, it can be categorized further into several regional ones. The central Thai cuisine is the cuisine of the flat and wet central rice growing plains. Its typical meal is composed of spicy soup, clear soup, deep-fry or stir-fry, and chili paste. The dishes are milder and sweeter than those from other regions.

Apart from that, it is the Isan or northeastern Thai cuisine that more reflects the essence of the arid Khorat Plateau and its food sources. These are similar to the culture of Laos, enriched by the Khmer cuisine. Pla-ra (fermented freshwater fish) is often quoted as a lead representation, along with the hotness of chili. The Northern Thai cuisine finds its roots in the former Lanna kingdom and mirrors the landscape of the mountains of the Thai Highland and its cool valleys. Cooking oil is an essential ingredient as fried garlic is used in several dishes. However, coconut milk is not used in this cuisine, possibly because coconut trees are not grown in the high mountainous region.

Thai cuisine of the south, which frequently includes coconut milk and turmeric, is influenced by Malay, Indian, Indonesian, and Cantonese culture. Hainanese elements can also be experienced. The cuisine can be referred to as Ya-ya or Peranakan and is famous for its hotness and saltiness.

The cultural aspect of Thai cooking and eating patterns is honored as a cultural feature. The uniqueness of how Thai people cook and eat their foods has been recognized and certified on the list of intangible cultural heritage. It is an attempt led by the Thailand Department of Cultural Promotion at the Ministry of Culture to present Thai food on UNESCO’s list of certified intangible cultural heritage. The certification has been updated every year since it started in 2012. More details can be found on the department’s website (http://ich.culture.go.th).

Thai culinary delicacies that have been on the cultural heritage list are, for example, tom-yum-koong, pad thai, red curry (gaeng-ped), green curry (gaeng-keow-wan), chili dip (nam-prig), and spicy green papaya salad (som-tum).

Besides individual dishes, Thai custom of meal ensemble and table setting called sum-rub has also been certified as cultural heritage.

Thai people eat rice as a primary source of energy, traditionally in every meal. The main savory dish to be eaten with rice is called gub-khao, which has direct translation as (to be eaten) “with rice.” These gub-khao dishes are compatible with main courses in a Western-style meal. The term reflected a perception of rice as the pivotal item, and everything else has an inferior role of rice accompaniment. This concept is the opposite of the Western-style meal, which regards cooked rice as a side dish. Thai people continue to call these savory dishes gub-khao (culinary repertoire to be eaten with rice) even though, probably started in 1940 with a government campaign on national nutrition status, the proportion of rice eaten in a meal has been decreasing.

The meal setting with gub-khao varieties takes a relatively long time to prepare and eat. Therefore, a one-plate dish is preferred, especially for lunchtime. Pad thai is an example of a one-plate dish. Other gubkhao such as massaman or green curry can be served as a quick meal by placing the food on the same plate of rice, hence the name khaorad-gaeng (curry-topped rice). A survey by university students showed that the most popular dishes for lunch are all one plate meals. These dishes were chicken rice (khao-mun-gai), noodles with pork (guay-teow-moo), spicy stir-fried basil, crispy fried egg (khao-ka-prao-kai-dow), rice with a savory omelet (khao-kai-jeow), and fried rice (khao-pad) Except for the spicy stir-fry, all the food has a mild taste with no or low use of herbs and spices.

During dinner time, more complicated food is preferred. Soupy gubkhao is called gaeng or tom. The soup recipes can be classified further by ingredients and flavor intensity, from the most intense flavor such as gaeng with coconut milk and herbs and spices (e.g., green curry) to the broth-based soup like gaeng-jued (e.g., cabbage soup with minced pork). Food groups with more concentrated herbs and spices, especially chili, are chili dip (nam-prig) and chili dip with coconut milk (lhon). Many Thai foods require simple tossing or mixing, mostly with spicy seasoning, such as the green papaya salad (som-tum).

Stir-frying is another popular cooking technique. The stir-fried dishes can be spicy such as spicy stir-fried holy basil with minced meat (pudka-prao) and can have mild taste such as those in varieties of stir-fried vegetables (pud-pug).

The Thai-style meal setting (sum-rub) typically comprises one chili dip with vegetables, one meat dish such as fried fish, one spicy, soupy dish, one clear soup, and either stir-fried dish (with or without spiciness) or spicy salad. All savory dishes are served in all-at once manner together with rice. The number and type of dishes are flexible and depend on the number and age of diners, and occasion of eating.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)