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.
Despite being an icon of the country's gastronomy, it cannot be considered traditional, having been created in the mid-1950s.
The name of this dish comes from the rough translation of "Thai Stir-fry." It was created about seventy years ago, so it's not that old.
In fact, it was created by the authorities to promote Thai cuisine abroad, just as the country's name was changing from "Siam" to "Prathet Thai." Later, in 1949, it was renamed Thailand.
The ruler of this era, Phibun, wanted to invent a "national dish" at this time coinciding with the Second World War and floods, which caused a shortage of rice.
Visit our YouTube channel
See the recipe on another website here.
Discover Thailand's food markets
