Food in Culture – Understanding the Thai Food Culture

In the evolution of culture, the concept of food plays now a deaper role than simple nutrition. In countries all around the world, food brings people together in social arrangement, family events or business meetings. It can reflect religion, values, beliefs and religion from every corner of the world.
The Thai Food Culture is complex with a great diversity. It is now well known around the world and has grown rapidly around the world during the last years. The Thai cuisine is well known for its balanced, detailed and harmonic food. Because of this, the Thai cuisine is often described as culinary delightful meals.
The Thai cuisine is based on attention to detail, texture, color, taste and the use of ingredients with medical benefits. In addition, thai cuisine focus on how it looks, smells and how it fits with the rest of the meal. The food is not about simplisity, but connecting the different elements together.

Social settings
Like in many countries, food becomes the social occasion in itself. It is very commun to meat with friends or family, just to enjoy a great meal together. A big difference beetween the western-countries and thai culture is in the way the food is presented. In the ”west”, it normally starts with a starter, then the main dish and finally with a desserts. And if you go to a restaurant, everyone order something for themselfes.
In Thailand, the concept of seperate meals and dishes is not well accepted. Usually, the dishes is shared among eachother. If you are in a resturant in Thailand, you order the number of dishes as there are people around the table. And then you share them together.
An interesting fact and difference beetween the western culture and the thai culture is that the way we treat food after the meal. In the western world we indulge ourself in food and have no problems throwing it afterwards. In Thailand, there is no such thing as throwing away food. It will upsets the Gods and will also bring bad luck ower the people. However, if you are dining in a restaurant. Leaving just a few bites on your plate indicates that you are full and that the meal was good.

Dishes
A typical and normal dish in Thailand consists normal of four seasonings; salty, sweet, sour and spicey. Many people in this culture believes that the dish are not satisfying unless they combine all for tastes.
Like most other Asiatic countries, the use of rice plays an important role. It is actually that