A Taste of Happiness: A Thai Food Journey

 

 

◎ Text & Photography by Tsai Cho-Hsuan      Cooperation by Tourism Authority of Thailand

Thai cuisine has been popular on Taipei’s streets for at least 20 years — from the early days when well-known chain stores like “Wang Wu” appeared in Taipei, to “Thai & Thai” at the Chinese-Thai Hotel, a top-tier Thai restaurant frequented even by the Thai royal family during their visits to Taipei. Nowadays, Thai restaurants continue to spring up across Taipei like mushrooms after rain, enduring with great popularity.


Moonlight Shrimp Cakes are actually Taiwanese

Have you ever realized that the “Moonlight Shrimp Cakes” you’ve been enjoying aren’t originally Thai? They’re actually a “fake Thai dish” invented by Taiwanese people and later popularized back in Thailand? (Although many local Thai restaurants now serve this dish, locals rarely order it.) In fact, the flavors of Thai restaurants across Taipei have also incorporated a fair amount of “Taiwanese taste.” Aside from some ingredients and spices being too costly to source, leading to “culinary adaptations,” for first-time tasters of Thai cuisine, overly strong spices might be hard to accept right away.

However, for passionate foodies who love Thai cuisine, these “localized” cooking methods might be the reason you can't experience the authentic flavors (nowadays, restaurants like Thai & Thai that claim 100% authentic traditional Thai flavors are rare). The simplest way to enjoy genuine Thai food is to visit Thailand itself — for less than half the price of Taipei, you can savor the freshest and most authentic Thai dishes. As for the remaining budget, save it for flights and hotels (and don’t forget to set aside some money for souvenirs). Plan a Thai food journey filled with pure happiness.


A New Paradise for Seafood Lovers

Geographically, central and southern Thailand are surrounded by seas, and being in a tropical region means the climate is warm all year round, naturally offering an abundance of marine resources.

Additionally, as Thailand is located on the Indochina Peninsula — where rivers carry abundant water from China — apart from seafood, you can also enjoy plump fish, shrimp, and crabs from inland rivers. This is one of the main reasons why Thai seafood cuisine is famous worldwide.

When it comes to Thai seafood dishes, common cooking methods include steaming, stir-frying, and deep-frying, often enhanced with fresh local Thai herbs such as kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, red onions, lemongrass, and basil. These are then combined with curry sauce and coconut milk, creating aromatic and flavorful dishes. A few drops of tangy lemon juice are added at the end — you’ll be salivating before even taking a bite. Such combinations are irresistible even in hot climates like Thailand’s.

Among Thai dishes, the one that Thais are most proud of is Tom Yum Goong (spicy and sour soup). In addition to using locally abundant fresh herbs like lemongrass mentioned earlier, it also incorporates common Southeast Asian seasonings such as fish sauce (a fermented condiment made from fish bones). Chili plays a crucial role in highlighting the flavors.

The Tom Yum Goong you get in Thailand is vastly different from what you might have tasted in Taiwan. It’s not only more sour and spicier (likely due to the climate needing stronger flavors to stimulate appetite), but even though the broth looks similarly clear, the “body” or richness is completely different. In Taiwan, the Tom Yum you usually get is like water boiled with spices and then seasoned, but in Thailand, it traditionally uses a rich fish stock as the base, further elevated by premium fish sauce, transforming it from a “clear soup” to something as hearty as “soybean milk.” You’d really have to try it in Thailand to understand the difference.


◎ Food Spot: ROD FAI SeaFood

◎ Food Spot: SomBoon SeaFood (Somboon Seafood Restaurant)