Thai food is internationally well known. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively blands, harmony is the guiding principle behind each cuisine. Thai recipe is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The specialty of Thai recipe depends on who makes it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally, Thai cooking reflected the quality of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai food.
With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and laced with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking ways were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese. Chilies were introduced to Thai food during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America.
