10 Unique Foods to try in Thailand
One of the best things about traveling, is the food. Trying out the cuisine of another culture can be a thrilling adventure in and of itself. Once you get checked into your Thailand accommodation, it is time for a snack. Here are 10 dishes that will surprise and delight.
Laab Luead
This is a pork salad that is very popular in Isaan. Most travelers tend to have some difficulty getting it down, however. The difficulty has less to do with the sour and spicy flavors than with the pork itself. Traditionally, the pork is served raw and topped with fresh pig's blood.
Goong Dten
This dish translates to “Dancing Shrimps.” As you may have guessed, the shrimp are served with their heads and legs still attached. What you may not have guessed, is that they are still alive when you eat them. You can feel them dancing all the way to your stomach.
Cab Moo
Cab Moo is more accurately a garnish or side dish. This piece of deep-fried pork skin is served with many Thai dishes and is definitely worth trying. There are two basic varieties. One is mostly fat while the other is fat-free. The fat variety is much more popular in the country because it has a lot more flavor.
Yum Kai Deng
Yum Kai Deng is usually served over steamed rice. It is the salted red yolk from a duck egg. It is considered a delicacy and is very high in both calories and cholesterol. In some restaurants, there is an additional layer of spicy and sour salad on top of the egg.
Fried Bugs
These snack foods all have different names depending on where your Thailand accommodation choices have placed you. But they all have one thing in common, the main ingredients are crickets, grasshoppers, water bugs and a few other crawly things tossed in the fryer and served as a finger food.
Ant Egg Soup
The soup is spicy and loaded with vegetables but what really makes it special are the ant eggs. The ants are very protective of the eggs and separating them is quite difficult. As a result, when it is time to add the eggs, the ants go into the soup too.
Tripe Soup
Using liver, intestines and heart to make a soup may not be unique to Thailand, but the sweet, sour and spicy flavors of the Thai variety give the soup a distinctive and enticing aroma.
Pat Pet Noo Na
This is a barbeque dish that may be served over rice in a rural restaurant or skewed on a stick from a street vendor. The meat used is field rat.
Squid Jerkey
These dried, salted pieces of squid can be found on most streets in Thailand. They are sometimes served as an accompaniment to salads, much like bread sticks.
Steamed Stingray
There are very few places where you can enjoy a plate of Stingray. With lemongrass, ginger, lime and chillies, the Thai dish is definitely one of the tastiest.
