The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Table of Contents

Thai cuisine has a huge variety of classic dishes that have many fans. We present you the 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand, which you should definitely try on your Thailand trip. Thai cuisine uses a variety of different spices that you wouldn't find in other cuisines, so be prepared for flavor explosions. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or carnivore, the great thing about Thai cuisine is that with any diet, you'll have a variety of dishes to choose from. 

Warning: this post is guaranteed to whet your appetite!

Som Tam: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Fresh, fruity and spicy. Attention all salad fans, you should not miss this salad. Whether as an appetizer, as a side dish or as a light, fresh main course on a hot day, the papaya salad is perfect. As the name suggests, the salad is composed of raw papaya strips, tomatoes, carrots, peanuts and red chilies. Especially the locals love the salad very spicy and sometimes add up to 20 chili peppers. So if you are sensitive to spiciness, it is recommended to order the salad as mild. 

You should remember the following expressions to find the appropriate level of sharpness:

"Mai Ped" = "not sharp 

"Ped nit noi" = "a little spicy".

The 8 Most Delicious Dishes of Thailand

Tom Yam: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Soups are welcome in Thailand at any time of the day and can be found on all menus. 

Tom Yum soup is a broth with coconut milk, which is enriched with various spices. These include lemongrass, ginger and galangal. These spices sometimes float in the soup as very large pieces and are not meant to be eaten, as they are very penetrating and taste intense. Noodles are added to the spicy soup and, depending on your choice, it can be ordered with tofu, meat or fish. 

The 8 Most Delicious Dishes of Thailand

Pad Thai: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Thailand's national dish is fried rice noodles, also known as Pad Thai. This dish consists of fried rice noodles, which are refined with fresh vegetables, bean sprouts, egg and a sweet-spicy sauce. There are also different variations to choose from. With tofu, meat, fish or with Thai basil the dish is completed.

Served always with roasted peanuts, lime and chili flakes, Pad Thai is generally considered a favorite in Thai cuisine.

The 8 Most Delicious Dishes of Thailand

Gaeng: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Thai curries are also not to be missed. Typical Thai curry consists of a spicy curry sauce with fresh vegetables and is served with rice.

Depending on the type of curry, you can expect a different flavor profile and level of spiciness. These curries are probably the most common: 

  • Gaeng Kari (yellow curry),
  • Gaeng Khiao Wan (green sweet curry)
  • Gaeng Phaed (Red Curry) and
  • Gaeng Massamam (mild, with potatoes)

The curry paste used in each case determines whether the curry tastes rather sweet, mild or hot. Thus, everyone can find a suitable curry for themselves. Also here you can choose from different additions and compose the curry suitable.

Gaeng: The 8 Most Delicious Dishes of Thailand

Stir-Fry: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Thai cooks mainly use a wok to prepare food. Very popular are the stir fries, which actually describes the way of preparation. These dishes consist mainly of vegetables, and various sauces. They can be spicy, sweet or sour. 

Cashew nuts, meat, seafood or tofu are often added here and served with fragrant rice. 

The 8 Most Delicious Dishes of Thailand

Kao Pad: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Like Pad Thai, fried rice is a must on any Thai menu. Here, boiled rice, together with vegetables, a spicy sauce, egg and optionally supplemented by meat, seafood or tofu. The dish is not particularly spicy and therefore very digestible.

The 8 Most Delicious Dishes of Thailand

Khao Neow Ma Muang: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Now it's time to get sweet: mango sticky rice is an absolute street food classic that many people like to eat as a dessert or even as a sweet. 

This is steamed glutinous rice, which is naturally black or white or also available in various colors. It is served with fresh, intense tasting mango and a sweet coconut sauce. This is a dish you should definitely try! There is always room for dessert, isn't there?

Thai Roti: The 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand

Whether for breakfast, dessert or as a snack between meals, banana roti is always a good choice. It is a kind of pancake, which is fried with bananas and then served with condensed milk, chocolate sauce or many other toppings. This dish is available on pretty much every street corner, which makes it hard not to stop and eat banana roti everywhere.

Appetite for more?

These are the 8 most delicious dishes of Thailand! Was the warning right and you can't think of anything else but to try these tasty dishes? Then off to Thailand, where all these dishes, and many more, are already waiting for you. Let yourself be captivated by Thai cuisine, it is really special and you will definitely miss it at home. Try to eat locally in restaurants owned by locals, because this way you will get to know the traditional taste of Thailand. Above all, you can eat there also very cheap and already with less than 5 € already become really full. 

Besides the tasty cuisine, Thailand also offers a lot of beautiful nature, exciting culture and cheerful locals. Come with us on a Trip to Thailandthat will enchant you with unforgettable impressions.

For additional travel inspiration follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.

Your advantages of TripLegend
Your adventure in Thailand

Drive yourself with a TukTuk through Thailand, marvel at the unreal coasts with your own eyes and get to know the Thai culture. Click on the link and learn more about the TripLegend Thailand adventure now.

Popular articles
Our trips
Borneo round trip
13 days
from 1999€
Philippines Palawan Essentials
9 days
from 799€
Uzbekistan Essentials
8 days
from 899€
Cambodia Essentials
12 days
from 999€
Montenegro round trip
5 days
from 1299€
Sri Lanka Round Trip with Jaimy
12 days
from 1499€
Uganda gorilla round trip with Ali
10 days
from 2899€
Nepal Essentials with Nic and Sam
11 days
from 1299€
Montenegro round trip with Ali
5 days
from 1299€
Namibia round trip with Ali
15 days
from 1999€
MEGA SALE

Double your discount up to 1.200,- €when you book with a friend today! 😍

Save on our unique trips, including our Namibia trip, with up to 300,-€ Discount.

👫✈️ Unique friends campaign 🚨: Book together with a friend and we'll double your discount - for both of you! 🎉

Offer only until on January 31! ⏰

Wait! A 50€ voucher is waiting for you

Sign up now for the TripLegend newsletter for free and get 50€ off your first booking (with full payment). Get travel inspiration and adventure ideas delivered to your inbox.