Pad Thai is possibly the best known dish in the West of the country's gastronomy. It is a sautéed dish in a wok based on rice noodles, chicken, bean sprouts, egg, fish sauce, tamarind paste and peanuts.
It is a delicious dish that you will find, both in restaurants and in street stalls and night markets. Its flavor and texture are unmistakable, and there are multiple variants of the traditional dish.
The name of this dish, "Thai Sautéed", comes from an approximate translation.
It was conceived about seventy years ago, which places it in a relatively recent era in the culinary history of the country.
Although it has become a Thai gastronomic icon, its origin cannot be considered strictly traditional, since it was created in the 50s of the last century.
Its creation coincided with a crucial moment in the history of Thailand: the change of name from "Siam" to "Prathet Thai", reflecting a national transformation.
In 1949, the country officially adopted the name of Thailand. During this period, the ruler Phibun sought to promote Thai cuisine abroad.
This initiative gained special relevance due to the difficult circumstances facing Thailand at that time, such as World War II and floods, which caused rice shortages.
In this context, Phibun sought to invent a "national dish" that represented the culinary identity of Thailand.
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