Quote from jbuder: "first time i tasted thai food, i thought i'd died and went to heaven (felt that way about indian food as well, actually)".
ME TOO!!
Although I have a strong penchant for Indian food, which BTW, is not Asian! :lol: the Queen of Asian cuisines has to be THAI!
Hot and spicy is what one believes to be flavours and tastes of Thai food. It is correct, but not totally. Thai food, in spite of its occasional sharpness, requires harmony. Coconut milk tones down the spiciness and enhances other ingredients in a dish.
What gives Thai food its distinctive character is a harmony in its tastes. The soups look plain in color but the taste combination is sour, salty, hot and aromatic. The use of peanuts and coconut in their curries are very characteristically Thai as well. I just love the way they use distinct herbs such as lemongrass, ****** lime, both the leaf and the fruit, galangal, one in the ginger family, and mix them with the pungent sourness of fresh lime or the pleasurable sweetness of palm sugar.
Also, a great bonus for the health conscious is that Thai food is lighter.
:lips: