The aromas of Lanna and a sticky rice culture
In Chiang Mai, begin northern Thai food with a bowl of khao soi. You get soft noodles, crispy noodles and rich curry broth together. For the next meal, try herb-scented sai ua sausage and nam prik ong, a tomato dip, with sticky rice. You will meet a northern table that is different from noodle dishes.
When choosing a meal in Chiang Mai
If you want a simple lunch, choose khao soi. On a day when you share several dishes, order sai ua, nam prik ong, sticky rice and vegetables together and enjoy a northern Thai meal.
In the north, sticky rice is eaten with several side dishes, vegetables and nam prik. The khantoke meal, with food set out on a small table, also shows this food culture. Khantoke is not the name of one dish. It means the table where many foods are set out and the way of eating.
Khao soi, sai ua and nam prik ong are eaten not only in Chiang Mai but in other parts of northern Thailand too.
Pick a dish you want to eat. Each guide explains what it tastes like and what to eat it with.
The features are the rich curry broth and the texture of two kinds of noodles. The noodles on top are crispy at first and soften little by little when they touch the broth. If you taste the broth before and after you add the side items, you can enjoy different flavors in one bowl.
Khao soi: taste and how to eat it →
Herb aroma and chili seasoning are added to the savory taste of pork. Its aroma is different from the sausages you know. The heat depends on the recipe, so if it is your first time, start with a small piece.
Sai ua: taste and how to eat it →
Chili seasoning is added to the sourness of tomato and the savory depth of pork. When you pair the soft sauce with crunchy vegetables, the different textures come together. The heat varies from place to place.
Nam prik ong: taste and how to eat it →A fruit's famous growing area and the city where you buy it now can be different. Check the season and taste, then choose the fruit you want.
The flesh is sweet, and the aroma varies with the variety. There is a black seed inside the white flesh, so you take the seed out as you eat.
Longan: season, taste and how to eat it →
The white flesh is sweet, and depending on the variety you may notice some tartness. You peel it and take out the seed in the middle before eating.
Lychee: season, taste and how to eat it →
Ripe mango is soft and sweet. Some varieties of green mango are eaten for a different texture from ripe mango, so you do not need to assume that every green one is unripe just from its color.
Mango: season, taste and how to eat it →
You enjoy the sweetness and tartness of citrus together. The taste changes with the variety and how ripe it is, and the flesh may have seeds.
Thai mandarin orange: season, taste and how to eat it →Khao soi, sai ua and nam prik ong are eaten not only in Chiang Mai but in other parts of northern Thailand too.
If you want a simple lunch, choose khao soi. On a day when you share several dishes, order sai ua, nam prik ong, sticky rice and vegetables together and enjoy a northern Thai meal.
If you want to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are a good next step. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one place to the next.
