Satya
All throughout history the island of Phuket has had foreign visitors arriving on it’s shores. Way back in the 1st century BC Indian merchants founded Phuket Town. Over the centuries they were followed by British, Portuguese, and French merchants who came to trade in tin. By the early 19th century a tin mining boom was in effect that attracted thousands of Chinese labourers to Phuket. The Chinese were poor at first, but in the end they had taken ownership of most of the tin mines and began to intermarry with the Thais which brought about a unique new culture that is known today as the Baba people, and who now run the majority of Phuket’s businesses. All of these various influences had one really wonderful result- the cuisine of Phuket is among the world’s most remarkable and delicious!
There is really only one way to fully appreciate the wonders of this tropical paradise’s cuisine, and that is to come taste it for yourself! Once you check into your luxury hotel in Phuket your first stop should be its restaurant where you can begin your Phuket culinary adventure in style!
The many foreigners who have come to live and work on Phuket have all left their mark on the island’s food. From India came spicy seasonings like coriander, cumin, cardamom along with their famed curry dishes. The Malay people just to the south shared their seasonings, such as lemongrass, lime leaves, and saffron along with their love for coconuts and satay.
The Thai people themselves originally migrated to the region from southern China around 2000 years ago and brought the spicy cooking style of their native Yunan province with them as well as the dietary staple rice. Further Chinese influences include the use of noodles, dumplings, and soy sauce. Much like the Chinese, the Thai recipes are based on a blend of five basic flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and hot. Traditional Thai cooking, including that of Phuket, is balanced carefully to accentuate all of the flavours making up a dish.
Now that we have whetted your appetite, let’s open our menus and see some of what makes Phuket’s unique cuisine so special!
Rice – It all begins with rice! Rice is so central to Thai culture that when people greet each other in the Thai language they ask each other “Gin Kao riang?” which literally translates as “Have you eaten rice yet?” Eating a meal without any rice is unheard of! Thailand happens to be the world’s largest exporter of rice and you might be surprised to find that there are many varieties beyond the white jasmine rice most meals are served with!
There is also sticky rice, a short-grained rice with a high gluten content that is steamed instead of boiled. Sticky rice has a variety that is actually black in colour, that is delicious served with coconut milk! The Chinese descendents of Phuket love to eat kow tom rice boiled into a hot porridge, it is also a popular breakfast dish all across Thailand.
Noodles – Everyone loves noodles, and none more than the people of Phuket! The most popular types are made from rice flour that is mixed with water to make a paste, which is then steamed to form flat wide, sheets. The sheets are then sliced up into noodles of varying widths. The best way to eat noodle dishes on Phuket is to purchase them from street vendors. When you are ready to order at a noodle stand you have to point out to the vendor which type of noodles you would like to eat from the display.
The following are the five main noodle dishes to try!
- Goo ay dee o – This is a noodle dish with a salty pork stock, a variety of pork and fish meatballs, and various vegetables that you can choose from. This popular dish is served both day and night as a quick and easy snack.
- Pad Thai – This is the noodle dish that most visiting foreigners order, possibly because its easy to remember its name! The thin rice noodles are stir fried with dried or fresh shrimp, firm tofu, bean sprouts, egg, and seasoned with oyster sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and chilli flakes, then served with lime wedges and some stalks of Chinese style garlic chives.
- Kanom Cheen – The name means “Chinese Snack” and is a favourite at festivals and parties. To make the noodles, rice flour is pushed through a sieve into boiling water similarly to Italian pasta. The chicken based broth is bolstered by red curry, then bits of chicken, pork, vegetables, and herbs are added. It is a scientific impossibility to eat only one serving.
- Ba-mee – These sumptuous noodles are made from egg and wheat flour and have a yellowish colour. After a quick boil, the noodles are mixed with broth and meat, which can include barbecued pork or crab. You can buy these from street carts, and another name for them is ramen.
- Wun sen – These very thin bean based noodles are almost clear! After soaking them in hot water for a few minutes they are added to a hot and tangy salad that contains lime juice, chillies, shrimp, ground pork and a variety of seasonings.
Curries – Although originally hailing from India, Thai curries are among the world’s best, and are an important part of Phuket cuisine. The basic curry paste is concocted from garlic, dried chilli, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime zest, shallots, shrimp paste, and salt. These are all ground together in a stone mortar with a pestle to form a thick paste. The three main types are as follows!
- Gaang pet – Hot and spicy, its red colour comes from dried red chillies.
- Gaang panaeng – A milder curry, the heat is mellowed by ground peanuts.
- Gaang kee o wan – This mild, sweet green curry gets its colour from ground green chillies.
Phuket’s curries are heated in a pan with coconut cream, then the rest of the ingredients like meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables are added. The scrumptious results are served over steamed rice.
Come to Phuket and bring your appetite!
