Thai food is known for its intense spiciness, which comes from the use of chillies. Thai cuisine balances four basic tastes: hot, sour, salty, and sweet. The use of chillies in Thai food has health benefits, including boosting the immune system and fighting off disease. Spicy food is also used to prevent foodborne illnesses in warm climates. Those unfamiliar with spicy food can ask for less spice and gradually increase it over time.
Many consumers have noted that Thai and Asian food in general can be intensely spicy. Chillies create the spicy flavor of Thai food, and if eating at a cooperative Thai restaurant, they can usually moderate or increase this ingredient upon request. There are a number of reasons for this spiciness including storage of unstable ingredients and personal taste, and you may find yourself learning to enjoy it over time.
Thai food is based on four basic tastes: hot, sour, salty and sweet. Each dish seeks to strike a balance between these four elements, and many dishes incorporate sour foods such as fish paste, savory items such as soy sauce, sweet ingredients such as fresh fruit, and chilies to heat them up. Chillies were introduced to Thailand in the 1600s and quickly adopted, as they were largely from Asia. This often incendiary ingredient is used in fresh, dried and pickled forms, depending on the cook and the type of dish.
Unlike other Asian cuisines, Thai food has a strong focus on fresh ingredients and things that are less dried and preserved. Thai curries usually feature fresh vegetables in a coconut milk broth with lemongrass, galangal leaves or basil. The finishing touch to a fresh, spicy curry is a hit of heat, provided by chillies that can either be seared in the wok before the curry is blended or ground with other spices such as tamarind to form a curry paste. The heat of Thai food adds to the intensity of the experience and flavour.
Some Thais believe hot foods have health benefits. It certainly can clear the sinuses, but heat is also an element in traditional Chinese medicine, which is practiced in various forms throughout Asia. Too much heat can be unhealthy, but heat can also be used to correct systemic health problems resulting from too much cold. Red chili peppers may also help boost the immune system and fight off disease, and have been shown to improve cardiovascular health.
The use of heavy spices to preserve meat and fish is common because peppers prevent rotting. Also, if the flesh falls apart slightly, which is sometimes a deliberate choice in Thai food, chilies prevent uncomfortable intestinal symptoms because they kill the organisms that cause foodborne illness. For this reason, many warm climates have highly spicy foods to ward off foodborne illnesses, and travelers in areas with minimal sanitation practices would be wise to eat spicy foods alongside the locals. Thailand is hot and muggy, ideal conditions for bacteria to grow, so Thai food is hot and spicy as a preventative.
The spiciness of Thai food is an integral part of a delicious culinary tradition. If you’re unfamiliar with spicy foods, ask restaurants to tone down the spice so you can learn to like the dishes, and gradually increase the amount of spice in your food so you can grow to love incredibly spicy foods. As well as being a new cooking experience, it will also allow you to win chili contests, a prized skill in some countries.
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