Thai food is popular not only in Thailand but also across the world. Thai restaurants are available from New York to London and from Paris to Jakarta.
It’s been very influential for a lot of people who have tried it. Surprisingly, there are a few similarities between Indonesian and Thai food even though they’re completely different countries. Let’s see how these two cuisines compare.
What is Thai food?
Thai food is a type of food that is prepared in Thailand. Thai dishes are characterized by their blending together of five tastes: hot, sour, sweet, salty and bitter. Thai cuisine places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge.
A typical dish would use few ingredients and come in contrasting colors to signify the balance of these five principles.
What is Indonesian food?
Indonesian food is influenced by Chinese, Indian, and European cuisines. The country’s capital city, Jakarta, is home to cuisines that range from mild to spicy. The main staples are rice, fish, vegetables, soybean (tempeh), tofu (abon), and shrimp paste (terasi).
Similarities between Thai and Indonesian food.
People who have tried Indonesian and Thai food will notice that they share some similarities. The two cuisines are different, but there are a few similarities between them.
The first similarity is the use of fish sauce, which is used in both Thai and Indonesian food. Fish sauce is often called “the soy sauce of Southeast Asia.” It gives these cuisines a salty and sour taste and also help balance the sweet and spicy flavors used in the cuisine.
Another similarity is that both cuisines use vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers. Cabbage is often eaten with mangos as a salad or can be boiled to eat it more like a vegetable side dish. Carrots can be used as an ingredient for curry as well as eaten raw as a snack. Cucumbers are usually eaten raw as part of a dish or as garnish on top of noodles or rice dishes.
In addition to those vegetables, these cuisines also have similar spices such as ginger, garlic, pepper, lemongrass, shrimp paste, pandan leaves, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind juice, galangal root (a type of ginger), cumin seeds, coriander seeds (cilantro), turmeric powder (usually for cooking), cardamom seeds (a type of spice), allspice berries (another type of spice), cinnamon sticks (another type of spice) and cloves (another type of spice). All these spices give these cu
Conclusion
In the end, the best food is the food that you’re most familiar with. So if you’ve been dying to try out Thai food, but you’ve been hesitant because you have no idea what to expect, then I hope this article has helped you make up your mind. It doesn’t matter if you’re a vegetarian, a vegan, a meat-lover, a seafood connoisseur or a picky eater.
There is a dish for everyone in the cuisine. And the best part about Thai food is that it’s not just about the food. It’s also about the experience. So if you’re looking for an unforgettable culinary experience, then Thai food is for you.
