Thai Cuisine. Four Regions & Four Flavors

harvest // blog issue 8

Chiang Mai to Phuket and Western Wine to Pair

At the heart of Thai cuisine is the harmonious balance of four flavors - Sweet, Salty, Sour and Spicy (or Bitter). These elements feature more prominently depending on which region of Thailand you visit and let me assure you its more diverse than simply hot curries and chilli-rich stir-fries. Thailand is geographically spread across four different provinces - Northern (famous for Lan Na cuisine), North Eastern (Issan), Central and finally Southern Thailand. The cuisine, cooking techniques, ingredients and flavors distinct to each region are all influenced by bordering countries following centuries of cross colonization, migration and trade. The most fundamental staples in every Thai pantry include: Jasmine Rice, Coconut Milk, Fresh Herbs and Thai Chillies, Fish Sauce, Tamarind Paste, Shrimp Paste and Palm Sugar. I’ve suggested some additional ingredients below for a seriously authentic Thai curry paste and wines to suit every palate.

Northern Thailand (Lan An)

Landlocked Northern Thailand derives its cuisine (“Lan An” cuisine) from centuries of migration from neighboring countries including Myanmar (Burma), Laos, China, Sri Lanka and India. Silk Road brought the culinary world to life with spicy, pungent and exotic spices that still epitomise the Lan An cuisine today. Rich curries of turmeric, cumin and cardamom provide aromatic morsels of meat blended with earthy tones of grilled vegetables and chillies, lifted with bright accents lemongrass and Thai basil. Unique to Lan An cuisine is their famous fermented meats and cured sausages for example “Sai Oua” (fermented pork sausage) a local comfort food.

Southern Thailand

The food culture in Phuket and Southern Thailand is distinctively blended with Western colonial, Hokkien Chinese and Muslim influence. A fish and seafood centric cuisine exists here due to the region’s proximity to the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Comfort food in Southern Thailand like Massaman Curry are humming with dry roasted holiday spice and charred red chilli, rich lashings of coconut milk and a strong umami taste due to the region’s love of fermented fish, shrimp, pork and yellow bean pastes. Fresh vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, papaya and lotus root create color and nutrition while added potatoes, pineapple, peanuts and raisins add sustenance with bursts of joy.

Central Thailand

Central Thailand, home to the capital Bangkok is often referred to as modern Thailand and is a destination for tourists hoping to get a taste of Thai culture. Street vendors, floating markets and eating halls draw influence from all over the country, of course often with adjusted levels of spiciness. Popular dishes include Pad See Ew and Pad Thai (sweet, oily rice noodles with Wagyu beef or shrimp and fried egg), Tom Yum Goong Soup (hot and sour shrimp soup), Green and Red Curry with Tropical Fruit or Tom Kha Gai (a spicy and sour chicken, ginger and coconut soup). Central Thai food fits well within the comfort zone of most Westerners featuring sweeter takes on traditional dishes (adding additional palm sugar), less spicy and more fried foods than anywhere across the Thailand.

Northeastern Thailand (Issan)

Humble countryside and forest dwelling communities within Issan province rely heavily on hunting for survival. Meat is sustenance, for example “Sok Lek” a Thai male-bonding dish of spicy raw beef swimming in animal blood gravy (sorry to my vegetarians)! Variations of the region’s famous “Jungle Curry” feature a wide range of game, wild boar, dear, small birds and frogs, alive with lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chillies, kaffir lime leaves, holy basil and green onion. Seafood delicacies also exist including grilled catfish and the popular snakehead fish finished with a lime juice, mint, cilantro, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and red chilli dressing.

There is nothing more quintessentially Thai than Green Curry. Take your next spice night to the next level with the following green curry paste. Ground and pound all ingredients down in a mortar and pestle or strong food processor (in order of appearance - most tough and fibrous ingredients first). Use some limejuice to help soften if necessary. Keep up to 3 months in an air tight container in the fridge.

Thai is one of the most unpretentious cuisines on earth and so too should be any accompaniments. Let your tastebuds decide what wines pair well, and don’t let anyone tell you what’s right and wrong.

🍽 Serves 4 | 🕒 15 min | 🔪 Skill Level: Easy

Ingredients

1 Lemongrass

2 inch Ginger

2 Shallots (1/4 cup)

2 Kaffir Lime Leaves

4 Green Chilies, seeds included

6 Garlic Cloves

1 bunch Cilantro (Leaves, Stem & Root included)

½ tsp. Cumin Seed

½ tsp. Coriander Seed

1 tsp. Fish Sauce

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1 Tbsp. Palm Sugar

Method

In a small frying pan, heat coriander and cumin seed on low heat until fragrant and earthy.
When grinding lemongrass, I like to split the stalk lengthways. Remove the green woody/ leafy top, reserve the 4-8 inch (10-20cm) white flesh and bulb and cut out the (1” / 2-3cm) wood v-shaped core residing at the very end. If you have a metal meat mallet bruise the lemongrass firmly to soften and extract flavor. Finally, shred the flesh with your knife and add to the food processor or mortar and pestle.
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth using some water to help liquify some of the more fibrous aromatics.
Once you’ve pulverised and liquified the curry paste, add to a small frying pan and simmer for 5 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid. This will also concentrate, incorporate and enliven each of the flavors for a rich and brooding simmer sauce.
Store in a airtight mason jar for 6 months until you’re feeling festive.
When cooking curry, reheat the sauce in a sauté pan for 2-3 minutes on a medium-high high heat to wake up the flavors. To create a fragrant coconut curry, add 1/2 tin coconut milk and 2 cups vegetable broth per serving. Add any seasonal vegetables including bell peppers, eggplant, squash, bean sprouts, baby corn, snap peas, carrot, zucchini, oven roasted tofu cubes, sliced and seared tempeh. Omg, just get it all in there! (starting with the toughest veg first).

Wine Pairing

Over the past two to three decades, Thai food has exploded in popularity all across the Western world and connoisseurs are hungry (and thirsty) to pair the cuisine with their favorite wines. So where are some good places to start? Despite some regional variation, Thai food is undeniably hot, sometimes numbingly spicy, and dishes brimming with this much exotic spice, demand a cool, refreshing style of wine.

White Wine

Generally avoid overly aged and oaky whites and those with high malolactic fermentation. Aromatic ingredients are used in Thai food for a reason, so let them shine! Choose aromatic, fruity white wines with a medium to high acidity and possibly lower alcohol. This might include:

Riesling - an off-dry German, Alsatian or Australian (Clare Valley) style will allow for a beautiful pairing given its ripe, dried fruit character and cooling sweetness.

Chenin Blanc - Vouvray is versatile, whether a fruity style with a hint of sweetness or one with crisp, acid drive, either are an ideal pairing.

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer or Grüner Ventliner are all excellent pairings due to their playful expression of tropical, citrus, honey and stone fruit notes, particularly favourable for enjoying with red and yellow curries either with lychee or pineapple from central and southern Thai cuisine.

Bubbles

Sparkling shouldn’t be overlooked when pairing vino with fiery Thai provisions.

Champagne “Doux” courtesy of some of the major French houses or Italian Asti Spumante, Moscato are sparkling wines with 40 - 75g sugar per litre, creating a delightful celebratory pairing.

Red Wine

Stay away from anything with too much tannin, unless you’re a serious seeker of spice. Tannins heavily accentuate any level of spice on the tongue. With that said, spice can always be adjusted, if you’re in the mood for red, look to styles of Thai like those of Northeast Thailand where meat features predominately allowing for a better suited food and wine combination.

Oregon or Otago (New Zealand) Pinot Noir or Austrian Zweigelt are two medium bodied, aromatic red varietals with soft tannin and enough acid to still complement the aromatic and spicy nature of Thai food.