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Foreigners may know Tom Yam Kung, a famous, original Thai spicy-sour soup that has for a long time been an export commodity of Thailand.

Some people take to Thai food immediately, others find the pungent and spicy taste, laden with garlic and chillies, a bit of a challenge. Almost all Thai food is cooked with fresh ingredients, including vegetables, poultry, pork and some beef. Plenty of herbs are used along with lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander to give the food its characteristically tangy taste. Fish sauce or shrimp paste may be added to make dishes taste salty. Throughout Thailand, rice is eaten with almost every meal.

Coconut milk is a main ingredient of Thai cuisine, and all kind of curries are mixed with coconut milk, It is also used in Thai desserts. However, if you don't have a penchant for sweet desserts, opt for a plate of fresh Thai fruit instead to end your meal.

A Thai meal is a communal affair, during which a group of diners will share several dishes, including steamed white rice. A century ago, meals were eaten by hand, pressing the rice into small round balls. Today a spoon and fork are used for eating rice, with chopsticks being used for Chinese-type noodles.

Thai food differs from region to region. Unlike the north and north-east, where glutinous rice is popular, Thai folk in the central area prefer the plain, fragrant variety, most commonly steamed.

Taste of North
Most northern dishes are generally milder than those of others regions and patterned by Burmese influence. Rice is always the main dish, with curries being secondary to the meal; but the northern people prefer Khao Nieo, a steamed glutinous rice, kneaded into small balls and used to soak up sauces and dips.

Kaeng Hang Le, is a spicy pork curry that relies on ginger, tamarind, and turmeric;

Khao Soi, a curry of egg noodles and meat that also originated in Burma, is heavily laced with coconut cream, and served with spring onions, pickled cabbage and slices of lime;

Miang (tea leaves) is also Burmese and is eaten as an hors d'oeuvre;

Nam Phrik Ong, another delectable accompaniment, is a northern-style chilli-dip served with dried shredded pork and freshly cooked vegetables.

The exclusive method for serving northern food is on a Khan Toke (small circular table). It is normally set up in lavish surroundings. Diners sit on the floor around the table and help themselves to assorted dishes; perhaps a minced meat dish seasoned with chilli, a salad, and numerous sauces.

Taste of Northeast
North-eastern (Isan) food reflects the influence of neighbouring Laos in a number of dishes. Glutinous rice is the staple diet, and all food is highly seasoned. This is supplemented by a heady mixture of strong bitterness and saltiness, creating an excitingly forthright taste locally known as saeb.

Som Tam (green papaya salad), is one of north-eastern Thailand's favourite dishes that has became popular nationwide, and even in Thai restaurants overseas. This is a spicy salad made from raw papaya, dried shrimp, crab, lime juice, garlic and chillies. For the genuine Isan version, Pla Ra, fermented fish, is also added to the dish;

Lap, is minced meat, chicken or pork, cooked in heavily seasoned dried chillies, lime juice and fish sauce;

Nam Tok, medium rare barbecued meat is cooked with spicy sauces, lime juice, fish sauce and dried chillies;

Kai Yang, or grilled chicken, is another dish that is always ordered after the formula of Lap, Nam Tok and Som Tam. Bathed with herbs and sauces, it is eaten with a sweet sauce used as a dip.

Taste of Central Plains
The Central region also has what is termed the "royal cuisine", a more sophisticated version of regional cuisine. Influenced by the kitchens of the Royal Court, dishes are elaborately prepared, making it as much an art form as a culinary masterpiece.

As the largest agricultural area in the country, rice is an essential element of every meal. Various kinds of curries are used to bring a splash of variety.

Kaeng Phet, or curry, is eaten with rice;

Tom Yam, the most frequently ordered dish all over Bangkok, is mixed with kung or shrimp, fish and chicken and is flavoured with lemon grass, chillies and kaffir lime leaves;

Kaeng Khieo Wan, a spicy green curry with ingredients comprised of coconut milk, sweet basil and chillies;

Tom Kha Kai, a thick coconut milk curry made from chicken or meat with lemon grass;

Kaeng Som, a spicy-sour soup with fresh vegetables, shrimps or fish;

Kaeng Liang, a traditional herbal, mild and spicy soup with vegetables;

Phat Phak, or fried vegetables with oyster sauce, and Phat Prieo Wan, sweet and sour versions, are best known to complement rice and curry;

Yam, this spicy salad dish is full of torpedo-shaped chillies, is quite popular and often ordered with a pre-dinner drink;

Nam Phrik, the most original Thai dish of all, offers an array of different versions, all incredibly pungent to a foreign nose.

Taste of the South
The people of the southern peninsula are known for being impetuous. They talk fast and act fast and have a spice and zest for life. Southern cooking seems to reflect these characteristics to a certain extent.

Vegetables are taken raw or cooked. The most notable is the large tree-grown bean known as Sato, a bit like garlic because everyone knows when you've been eating it!

Kaeng Tai Pla, quite famous among southern curries is cooked from fish kidneys with added vegetables;

Kaeng Luang, a yellow curry with fish and bamboo shoots. If you have a delicate palate, approach this dish with extreme care; Muslim dishes are, of course, common in this strongly Islamic region.
Khao Mok Kai, exhibits strong Middle Eastern influences with its saffron rice and marinated chicken;

Kuai Tieo Khaek, noodle curry, inspires thoughts of India, though it is believed to have originated in the Malay peninsula.

Desserts
Most Thai folk like sweets. Unlike the rest of a Thai meal, desserts are similar in most regions of Thailand. Many recipes include coconut milk so people who are dieting should be aware of this and try the seasonal fresh fruits instead.

A few dessert samples include Sangkaya Fak Thong, or custard in pumpkin; Kluai Buat Chi is banana cooked in coconut milk and bua loi phuak, or taro balls in coconut cream.

Fruit
Fruit is important in the Thai diet and is plentiful all year round.

All year round: Pomelos (large grapefruits), tangerines, guava, a variety of bananas, papaya, coconuts, watermelons, rose apples, sapodilla, star fruit, crab-apple, tasty pineapples, grapes and apples.

Seasonal: Rambutan, a hairy-skinned fruit is season May to July; mangosteen has a dark purple skin, but delicate white sweet flesh inside and is in season from May to September; mango, eaten when green or when ripened, is in season in April and May.

Durian, the king of fruits, has delicate creamy flesh making it one of the most popular of Thai fruits, in season in June and July; lichee, originally a cold weather fruit is in season from April to June.

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