Appetising offering of flavours, dishes

Thai food with a strong Chinese influence is popular in Hong Kong

THE MENTION OF Thai food evokes thoughts of a burning tongue, runny nose, teary eyes and the urge to drink a large amount of water (which actually makes the burning sensation worse).

That is a misconception. Thai cooking is an elegant balancing act of flavours and dishes ranging from non-spicy and mildly spicy to fiery. A well-balanced Thai meal should consist of both spicy and non-spicy dishes.

Even with the fiery dishes the addition of palm sugar or coconut milk tempers the piquancy.

No matter how hot a dish is, the heat in a Thai dish should not overpower the essential tastes of the ingredients.

The main flavours of Thai cuisine are hot (from chilli and chilli powder), sour (from lime and tamarind), salty (from the nam pla or fish sauce), sweet (coconut milk and sugar) and astringent (kaffir lime leaves).

Different regions of Thailand also have different cooking styles. Thai dishes that are popularly found in Hong Kong are mostly from central Thailand as the region has a strong Chinese influence and the overall texture is close to what diners here are accustomed to. Tom yum kung, tom kha gai, pad thai, neua pad prik (Thai chili beef) and kaeng panang all have roots in central Thailand. Moreover, seafood is the most abundant in this part of the country.