The Effects of Food on Thai Cultures (Part 2)

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The most famous meals from this region are; Som Tam, Larb and Nam Tok. The sticky rice is rolled up into small balls using the right hand and is then used as a utensil to scoop up a portion of one of the aforementioned dishes.

The people from this region are extremely resourceful and eat a variety of different animals including: chicken, snail, frog, lizard, cricket, field rat, and dog.

The North of Thailand

The North of Thailand is rich in history and is home to the second largest city in Thailand, Chiang Mai. The northern dialect is spoken very slowly in comparison to the fast flowing dialect of the south. Other languages are spoken by the vast number of hill tribes that occupy the north.

There are a large number of hill tribe’s people living in the north. The tribal research Institute in Chiangmai estimates that there are about twenty different hill tribes, with a combined population of over half a million. These hill tribes are mainly self-sufficient and grow rice, corn, vegetables and raise animals such as pigs, goats and chickens. In the north they eat all types of meat. Famous dishes include น้ำพริกอ่อง (Minced pork, tomatoes, chilies, shrimp paste and onions and แกงฮังเล (pork, garlic, and Hunglei curry.)

Food and the South of Thailand

The South of Thailand enjoys a steady tourist industry due to the abundance of beautiful islands that are dotted in both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Foreigners from the four corners of the globe travel to the South to enjoy the seafood, fresh off the boat, on one of the beautiful strips of beach. With the Andaman Sea to the left and the Gulf of Thailand to the right, it is no wonder that fresh seafood plays a prominent role in southern cuisine. An array of fishes, shrimps, lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans can be found on any one of the numerous beaches that make this region so enticing to both foreign and Thai tourists alike.

Approximately 95% of the country’s population is Theravada Buddhists, with just a small percentage of the population being Muslim. Most of these Muslims are of the Malay ethnic minority group and almost all of these Malays live in one of the four southernmost provinces that border Malaysia. In accordance with Islamic beliefs, the majority of foods found in these provinces are Halal, and it is very rare to find pork on the menu. Malaysian cuisine has a heavy influence in these provinces. Elsewhere in this region, hot and spicy curries are very popular.

One non-Thai-speaking Muslim traveler from Malaysia encountered a problem whilst traveling up to Bangkok by train. Not wanting to eat pork because it is deemed as Haram, he opted for ‘moo’ หมู, his rationale being that this was the sound that a cow makes so he must surely be eating beef. It wasn’t until sometime later when he had brushed up on his Thai that he realized the mistake he had made.