Thai restaurants overseas play a vital role to represent Thai culture.
Thai foods are well-known worldwide as its reputation of tasty, healthy and delicious. It is not surprised why our Thai restaurants exist almost every corner around the world. Thai restaurants overseas attract and help our nation promote our culture, for example the decoration of the restaurant, menu, Thai music, waiter and waitress’s custom etc. These sorts of things create Thai atmospheres not only for the purpose of their business but also to express and pride to be Thai.
As far as I concerned, not many foreigners never heard of Thai food. There are many popular dishes among foreigners, I think you can guess such as “Tom Yum Gong”, “Pad Thai”, “Roast duck curry”, “Pork Satay” and so on.
The reputation of Thai foods, of course “hot and spicy”, however Thai restaurant overseas tend to serve “distorted or less than authentic Thai foods” to suit to the dominant culture’s taste for example more sweeter than it is supposed to be. Do you think it will potentially damage the authentic way of our food? From my own experience, I used to work in the kitchen of Thai restaurant in Australia, not only the taste is slightly different but also ingredients that are limited in its country. According to the geographical problem, many Thai herbs can’t grow in those countries’ climate which lead to reason for using canned Thai vegetable or applying local vegetable to replace original ingredients i.e. small eggplant in Green Curry they use broccoli and bamboo instead. Red peppers are used to replace Thai chili.
I believe that Thai restaurant overseas are a crucial representator for Thai culture as long as owners keep the standard and think beyond only their business.
Phitchaya Phungpadoong
4 comments:
I’m glad that my country’s food is popular in other countries, however, it is hard to set a certain standards for Thai food since it depends on personal preference. Even 4 regions of Thailand eat difference tastes; Kaeng Kiew Wan in Chiang Mai will not taste exectly the same as Kaeng Kiew Wan in Phuket. So it is not surprise if Thai restaurants overseas can not cook Thai food as it supposes to cook in Thailand.
Part of uncertain tastes of Thai food in overseas is ingredients since some herbs and spices can not grow in cold countries, so chefs have to substitute with other herbs or using dried herbs. Also, since most of Thai food are quite spicy which people in other countries will not be able eat so the chefs have to cook to suit people’s favorite.
I love Thai food and it is probably very hard for me to change my mind. I realized how I love Thai food when I was in other countries, Tom Yum instant noodle was unbelievable tasty when I rarely eat instant noodle when I’m in Thailand!!!
Noi ;)
I'm very proud to be born in Thailand where foreigners know Thai food very well. Especially Tom Yum Kung is very famous for the foreigners who visit Thailand and it is also famous in other Thai restaurants in oversea. Although Thai food is very hot and spicy, it's very delicious. Thai food can show Thainess. When it is served in the other countries and the foreigners taste it, they percept our Thainess. I agree that sometimes some ingredients for Thai cooking can't be found in some countries and chefs must cook Thai food with some different ingredients. For the point of taste, original Thai food taste is very hot and spicy. Sometimes it's too hot and spicy for the foreigners. So, I think chefs can cook it with the suitable taste for foreingners because I think Thai chefs must cook with Thai taste although it's not enough hot and spicy with original Thai food. Finally, I love eating Thai food and I think no food around the world is as delicious as Thai food. If I have a chance to promote Thai food for the foreigners, I will do it immediately. Because Thai food can be the representative of our Thainess.
sunee
I've a chance to talk with friend who is a chef at a restaurant in London and know that Thai dishes are very famous for people there. I'm very lucky to be Thai and have Thai food because it's good taste, nutritious with vegetable, meat and herb. I can find Thai food everywhere in Thailand while in overseas it's hard to get one and also very expensive.( Pad Thai is about 6 ₤ in London but only 20 ฿ in Thailand.)
I think it’s a very good opportunity for people who owns Thai restaurant overseas. Not only high income but also it’s the way to represent Thainess to foreigners. Many restaurants also have an extra program provided like Thai dancing and dressing.
Thai food is unique in sense of hot and spicy in foreigners’ point of view. Even it’s hot and spicy, foreigners really like ant want to taste it.
I’m glad to know foreigners appreciate Thai food and also Thainess. But I wonder why some Thais don’t appreciate being Thai.
Ann
According to the government policy in upgrading Thai kitchen to the world, it leads to the inseasing of our farmers' income. Those ingredients used in Thai cuisines comes from our farmland sections. Such the policy supports the expansion of our food industries. Moreover, part of our national income also comes from those Thai cuisine business overseas.
After the government signed in the FTA contact with Australia, this makes the Ausltralian government losen their stricness and gives opportunity to Thai restaurants to manage the business on their own. This is another opportunity for our labors who want to earn higher income overseas. Becuase people in this country are afford in buying and over 3 million tourists visiting Australia each year.
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