Does Pad Thai always have shrimp?
No. The main ingredient depends on the menu. Even when you do not see shrimp, dried shrimp is sometimes used in the seasoning, so if you cannot eat shrimp, ask about both the main ingredient and the seasoning.
Pad Thai
Pad Thai · ผัดไทย
If you are not sure what to eat for your first meal in Thailand, try Pad Thai. Rice noodles are stir-fried with egg and tofu in a sweet and sour tamarind sauce. Crunchy bean sprouts and nutty peanuts give you several textures on one plate. Squeeze the lime that comes on the side over the noodles and the sour taste comes alive.
Phat thai - Chiang Mai - 2017-07-08 (002) · Iudexvivorum · CC0
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What does it taste like?
Tamarind's sourness meets sweet and salty flavors. When you chew soft noodles together with bean sprouts and peanuts, you get a crunchy, nutty bite. At places that serve chili flakes on the side, you can add as much as you like.
If you cannot eat shrimp, ask whether dried shrimp is also in the dish and the seasoning.
Dish basics
- Dish name
- Pad Thai · Pad Thai
- Thai name
- ผัดไทย
- Type
- Rice and noodles
- Regional link
- Central Thailand · Signature Thai dish
- Main ingredients
- Rice noodles are cooked with egg, tofu and bean sprouts and flavored with tamarind. Shrimp, dried shrimp or peanuts may also be used, so if there is an ingredient you avoid, tell the cook before you order.
The dish and its region
Pad Thai is Thailand's best-known stir-fried noodle dish. It is easy to find in Bangkok, but it is not a local specialty eaten only in Bangkok. If Thai food is new to you, start with Pad Thai, and for the next meal try a noodle dish with broth such as khao soi.
How to order and eat it
- Choose the main ingredient you want, such as shrimp, and place your order. If you cannot eat shrimp, ask whether dried shrimp goes in as well.
- When the plate arrives, try it as it is first. Add the lime and peanuts a little at a time to adjust the sourness and nuttiness to your taste.
- If you like heat, add a little chili flakes. If you need to leave out egg or peanuts, tell the cook before the dish is made.
Frequently asked questions
Can I only eat it in Bangkok?
No. It is a signature dish eaten in many Thai cities. On a Bangkok trip it is a good first meal for getting used to Thai food.
More dishes and cities to explore
Official sources
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.
View official sources · 1
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