Thai Food fron the Northern Region

Thai food of the north, in some way, is cooked with the sole thought for the taste of mild hot, salty, sour, but not sweet for the northern people. The recipe consists of vegetable and ingredients available in their immediate vicinity. The common meal includes sticky rice(glutinous) served with chili paste which come in a host of varieties, such as "namprik noom", "namprik dang", "namprik ong" and curry soups (gang) without coconut milk such as gang hangle, gang hoh, gang kae. In addition there are also, local sausages such as sai ua, and naem, steamed meat, roasted pork, pork resin, fried pork, fried chicken and vegetable to go with them.

The northern people have penchant for medium cooked food with a touch of salty tastes almost to the exclusion of sweet and sour tastes. Meat preferred by the northern people is pork followed by beef, chicken, duck, bird etc. Sea food is the least known on account of the remoteness of the northern region from the sea.

Thai food of the north or Lanna Thai style cuisine does not lack in varieties. These are dishes to be consumed at different times of the day. The northern breakfast known in the local dialect as khao ngai consisting mainly of steamed glutinous rice. Cooked in the early hours of the day, sticky rice is packed in a wicker basket made from bamboo splints or palmyra palm leaves. The farmer takes the packed basket to the working rice field and eat the glutinous rice as lunch, known in the dialect as "khao ton". Dinner or "khoa lang" is an familiar affair is served on raised wooden tray or "kan toke". The tray made of oak which is about 15 to 30 inches in diameter and people will sit around the table on straw mats.

Traditional Method of Serving Northern Food

The northern people are known to follow their traditions in a very strict and faithful manner, in particular the tradition of serving and partaking of the evening meal. Food is placed in small cups placed on "kan toke" which could be an inlaid wooden or brass tray depending on the economic status of the house owner. Served together with "kan toke" is sticky rice that is the staple food of the northerner packed in a wicker basket. There is also a kendi containing drinking water nearby. Water is poured from the kendi to a silver drinking cup from which water is drunk. After the main course come desserts to conclude the evening meal.

Food by Regions

Thai Food from the Northern Region