Thais emphasise the perfect balance between four taste characteristics of all ingredients: salty, spicy, sour and sweet. One taste may be dominant in a dish, but you will notice the others as well. For example, Pad Thai has the saltiness from peanuts, the sour tones from lime, the spicy kick from chili, and some sugar to sweeten it up.
Living in Bangkok, I get to experience the cuisine of a global city which means you can find food from all over the world here, such as American, Spanish-- even German. But the most common cuisines are Asian, with the main three being Thai, Japanese, and Korean.
If you are eating outside of the capital, you should mostly expect to be served Thai food. If you are in an area that is less urban, make sure you say, “Mai ped na ka/krap!” (Not spicy at all please!) The locals love spicy foods! If you ask for just a bit spicy in these areas, it may still be too much for someone not used to spice in their meals!
My favorites so far are Pad Thai, papaya salad, Tom Yum soup and practically every type of street food available. This label can be applied to a whole range of foods from fried bananas (yum!) to crocodile meat! There are also dozens upon dozens of tropical fruits in Thailand. The fruit here is the best!
