Traveling to Thailand is a dream come true for many food lovers. From cheap street foods to affordable buffets and high end Thai restaurants, you can certainly find everything that you need here. but if you have food allergies or follow a plant-based diet, navigating the vibrant culinary scene can feel a bit hard.

History of Thai Ingredients

A little introduction to Thai dietary and history. In Thai, the word “Khao” or “ข้าว” (Rice) also means “Food”, When Thai people say “Tham Kub Khao” which literally translates to cooking rice, it usually refers to people cooking actual dishes and food, not just rice on its own, emphasizing the importance of rice in our dietary. Furthermore, the ingredients, spices and the way we cook also have received influences from many cultures! such as Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and western culture. For instance, the use of spices from India (such as turmeric and coriander etc.) and cooking techniques from China (stir frying and steaming) significantly shaped Thai cooking styles. The incorporation of chili peppers from the south american in the 16th century transformed Thai food, introducing new flavors that became a big part of our flavor profiles until today!

Most of the daily food consumption of a typical Thai since the olden time always revolve around rice, fish, and Nam Phrik “น้ำพริก” (a type of chili paste) and vegetables.

With a little preparation and knowledge, you can enjoy the incredible flavors of Thai cuisine without worrying about your health or dietary preferences and you can get to try not only “Tom Yum Kung”, “Pad Thai”, or “Tom Kha Kai” but also other dishes that you might never know before. Here’s your ultimate travel guide to exploring Thai food safely and deliciously!

Common Ingredients you might be allergic to:
The most common allergens in Thai cuisine can include:

Seasonings and Condiments

Fish Sauce (Nam Pla น้ำปลา): A staple seasoning made from fermented fish; it adds a salty and fishy flavor to many dishes. One of the basic ingredients in Thai cuisine.
Soy Sauce: Commonly used for seasoning; it contains soy, which is a known allergen.
Shrimp Paste (Kapi): Made from ground shrimp, salt, and other ingredients such as garlic, chilies, and sometimes soy sauce. Commonly used in curries or as a dip for veggies.

Herbs and Spices

Chilies: Fresh or dried chilies add hot and spicy flavor to many Thai dishes; they can vary in spiciness.
Lemongrass: A fragrant herb used to impart citrusy flavor in soups and curries.
Galangal: Similar to ginger, this rhizome adds a distinct flavor to soups and curries.
Thai Basil: A key herb that gives dishes a unique aromatic flavor; it is often used in stir-fries.This is one of the most popular ingredients for the most common dish in Thai’s household which is Stir-fried Thai Basil with crispy pork or Pad Kra Phao Muu Krob.

Sweeteners

Palm Sugar: Used for sweetness in various dishes; it balances the flavors of spicy and savory ingredients, commonly used in chili pastes and Thai desserts.
Coconut Sugar: Adds a caramel-like sweetness and a signature aromatic scent to sweet and savory dishes, making it a popular but pricier choice for recipes and desserts.

Proteins

Meats: While Thai people consume a lot of meat in our daily diet, fish, pork, chicken, and seafood are much more common than beef.
Peanuts: Frequently used in sauces and salads, they can be a significant allergen for some diners.

Core Ingredients

Coconut Milk: Used in curries and desserts, it provides creaminess and sweetness.
Rice: The primary carbohydrate source in Thai meals; jasmine rice as well as sticky rice are particularly popular among locals. Besides rice, Thai people also use rice to create noodles such as Khanom Jeen (ขนมจีน) or Kuy Tiew (ก๋วยเตี๋ยว) as well.

After these ingredients are bought, they are then transported to the kitchen, ready to be cooked to serve the order of the customers in various restaurants in Bangkok as well as in the Thai households. The next process is to cook it together! One of the essentials element in Thai cuisine are Kreung Kheang ( เครื่องแกง) and Nam Prik (น้ำพริก).

Kreng Kheang (เครื่องแกง) is an integral part of the cooking process which refine the characteristics of the dish. It is the heart of Thai curries and soups or even stir fried dishes. It’s a mixture of common aromatic herbs like galangal, lemongrass, shallots, kaffir lime, chillies (both dry and fresh) and spices such as coriander seeds, cumin and turmeric. Famous examples of dishes that are made with Kreng Kheang can include: Kaeng Khiao Wan (Green Curry), Khao Soi (Northern Thai Curry), and Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry) which also may contain soy sauce, and peanuts that can cause an allergy.

While Nam Prik (น้ำพริก) is usually served as a side dish or condiment as a dipping sauce. It is made from chillies, garlic, shallots, lime juice, fish sauce and often with shrimp paste or “Kapi” (กะปิ) or other things depending on the region.

Ingredient and Traditional Thai Markets

Mostly, Thai local restaurants in the current urban settings purchase these ingredients from “Talat nat” (ตลาดนัด) or a temporary market where farmers and vendors came to sell their products on a specific time of the day, or day of the week or month (Check out one example of this type of market in Trok Mor Market in our audio tour here). Talad Nat started off as a place where people make an appointment to trade items and food with each other in their community and later evolved into a full fledged market. These markets play an important role in our communities as they are the source of our daily nutrition and provide a very affordable and accessible source of ingredients compared to big supermarket brands.

These kinds of markets are a must visit for foreign travelers, especially those who are very specific about the ingredients that go into their food. The market can give you a wider look into the general dietary, and ingredients that local Thai people use in their cooking, so you can learn to respect and better equip yourself with the knowledge to navigate through our food culture while maintaining your food preferences and allergies.

Communicating Your Food Preferences to Locals

The customers, both Thai and foreigners, can always place a special request in terms of making adjustments to the ingredients of the dish they are ordering in restaurants based on their preferences.

Therefore, knowing how to express your dietary restrictions in Thai can be useful! You should even learn how to say it in Thai to the servers as well! Here are some phrases to help you:

“I am allergic to…” (แพ้ - Pae) followed by the allergen (e.g., nuts - ถั่ว - Tua).

Example: I am allergic to shrimp! - Pae Kung Krub/ka

“Does this contain fish sauce?” (มีน้ำปลาไหม - Mee Nam Pla Mai?)

Example: I do not want peanuts! - Mai Ao Tua Krub/ka

“I do not want…. (ไม่เอา - Mai - Ao) followed by the allergen (e.g., nuts - ถั่ว - Tua).

Example: Does this contain oyster sauce? - Mee Naam Man Hoi Mai krub/ka?

Note: Krub/Ka is usually used at the end of the sentence to showcase politeness. Men have to say Krub, while women have to say ka.

In conclusion, studying the ingredients of most common specific dishes can be useful in helping travelers, to not only avoid dangerous allergy reactions, but also get to know more about the local ingredients, and sources of the ingredients used in the Thai dishes.

If you are interested in experiencing the evolution of Thai food, from street food to royal food, and how the ingredients are prepared and where they were taken from, Check out The Roots Routes’ guided tour experience on “Culinary Evolution of Thai Food” here!