Best Thai Food - 5 Isaan Foods You Should Try in Thailand. Ao Nang Restaurants

fish sauce

🥗Healthier: soy sauce

💰Cheaper: salt + water

Soy sauce is lower in calories and can provide umami flavor.

palm sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: granulated sugar

Honey offers a natural sweetness while granulated sugar is more affordable.

Visit a local restaurant in Thailand to try Isan dishes.

Order various dishes including mushroom soup, mango salad, and grilled pork neck.

Taste the mushroom soup, noting its earthy flavor and spiciness.

Describe the soup as having pumpkin, chili, herbs, and mushrooms in a sour broth.

Taste the mango salad, highlighting its sour, sweet, and spicy flavors with beans, tomato, and peanuts.

Mix the ingredients of the papaya salad, noting the use of fermented rice noodles and dried shrimp.

Taste the papaya salad, commenting on its spiciness and sourness compared to the mango salad.

Try the grilled pork neck, describing it as sweet, moist, and tender with a smoky flavor.

Mention the dipping sauce that accompanies the pork neck, noting its sour and spicy qualities.

Refresh the palate with a plate of Assam vegetables, including raw cabbage and long beans.

Taste the grilled catfish, describing its buttery flesh and crispy skin.

Comment on the dipping sauce for the catfish, noting its thickness and flavor profile.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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Dietary

Allergens