Taste My Life: Thai food

   I have wanted to go to Thailand for about 15yrs. I was so excited when I finally was able to plan a trip. Thailand has always fascinated me ever since the first time I ate at a Thai restaurant.   The moment I walked in the restaurant I was hooked. Paintings of Buddha and Siam dancers filled the walls and the smells were, as always, amazing. I can even remember what I ate. I'll never forget it! Yellow curry with chicken and pineapple. The fact that the dish was made with spices, coconut milk, vegetables and fruit was amazing to me. I just had to go to the country where this culinary masterpiece came from.
   The older I got, the more interested I became in Thai food. And how hot it can be.  In the last few years I have become so obsessed with hot foods. And Thai food is absolutely the way to go.   They have so many regional ways of cooking that each meal can be its own experience. And I do enjoy food experiences! But the spices they use make each dish unique. The vast number of spices they use for any given dish is remarkable, and how they use them is key.
   When you go to a Thai restaurant in the US, England, or Australia, its always an experience. The decor is always gilded in gold, mesmerizing and there is always at least one statue of Buddha. The food seems to have names like emerald or jade curry. And the price is usually fairly expensive for a plate of noodles. But I would pay anything for Thai food.  In Thailand its a bit different. Its just about the food. As it should be. If the food is good, you don't need to talk about whats hanging on the wall. Most Thai people eat at food markets or stalls that line the streets. When they do eat in a restaurant its just for the food. In fact, the restaurants are usually very small and the table are on the street and sidewalks.   It keeps the price down, and you know the food is authentic when you are one of the very few white people. That's how I like it, me in a sea of Asians, eating!   You can, of course, always find the exception. In Bangkok and most tourists areas you can eat at a fancier place and pay double for it. But you also face the chance of eating food that isn't as authentic. Its most likely less spicy and slightly westernized. If I wanted westernized Thai food I would cook it myself. I want spicy. Actually I was on the hunt for burn your ass hot. The kind of food that hurts twice. I think It was hot enough, but I was actually expecting it to be hotter. I think because I was white they made it less hot. Even if I did say "phet", which means hot.

Green Curry with chicken

Normally, I would order green curry, but in Thailand their red curry cant be missed. The proper use of galang and lemongrass will astound you. I was mesmerized and I ate it almost every day. I just couldn't get enough. And of course there where always chilies and spicy basil in it. Two of my favorite things! I would pick them out of every dish. They probably thought I was so weird. Chilies in Thailand are hotter because their oil would last longer on your tongue. It allowed the spiciness to last through the entire dish. Spicy basil I noticed was referred to as holy basil. I thought it was just an Asian typo at first. But then I kept seeing it in menus. And I must say holy is a perfect way to describe this herb. I just love the stuff!