10 Authentic Thai Dishes to Try

It's no secret that Thai cuisine is among the best in the world. Its complex flavours and unique combinations of delicious ingredients have made dishes like pad thai popular far beyond the streets of Bangkok. So you can now enjoy Thai food in restaurants all over the world. But nothing compares to tasting local specialities at street stalls and markets in the country itself. You'll find that in Thailand even unassuming little shops with just one or two tables serve food that can hold its own against top restaurants.

Thai cuisine can be broadly divided into four regions: northern, north-eastern, central and southern. The north of the country has a cooler climate and higher altitudes, making it ideal for growing herbs such as lemongrass, which gives the food a very special flavour. The cuisine of north-eastern Thailand is also called Isan and shows influences from Laos and Cambodia. Here, food is grilled rather than fried, and meat is served with salads. Central Thai cuisine combines a little of everything and is characterised by milder dishes with coconut milk. Southern Thailand is a paradise full of islands and beaches, so it's no surprise that its cuisine is dominated by fish dishes. Its proximity to Malaysia might also explain why this region's food is especially spicy, with hot dishes dominating the menus in the south.

You'll find most of our favourite dishes featured here without any trouble in Thailand, whether you're strolling through one of the lively street markets or visiting a restaurant. We recommend being curious and open-minded: everything you eat in Thailand is an experience that brings you closer to the richness and diversity of the country. To make your choice a little easier, here's our list of dishes you really should try on a trip to Thailand.

Pad Kra Pao is a stir-fried dish with Thai basil and pork, served with rice. It's simple but full of flavour and, thanks to the mix of basil and chillies, extremely spicy. You can, however, also order a milder version. It's usually served with a fried egg, which nicely balances the heat – the perfect combination. This dish also comes with other meats, seafood or tofu.

This coconut curry soup is a speciality of northern Thailand and has a flavour all its own that's hard to describe. With meat, vegetables and crispy egg noodles that soften in the broth, this dish is at once spicy and sweet, creamy and savoury. It's the ideal food for the soul and only gets better with every aromatic bite.

Tom Kha Gai is a coconut chicken soup with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chillies, whose heat is softened by the coconut milk. The result is a tasty and satisfying dish. It's a milder version of Tom Yam Gung, the popular hot-and-sour soup usually served with prawns, which you may have tried at home. The creamy version with coconut milk and chicken is a local favourite and gives you the full flavour in a milder form.

This Thai omelette is a simple but essential food to take away. It's not just a breakfast but can be enjoyed at any time of day, such as a snack during a break from sightseeing or a light meal in between. The egg is usually served with rice and a sweet chilli sauce. You can also customise your omelette with vegetables.

You may know this dish as papaya salad. This spicy salad from northern Thailand is made with green papaya, chillies, fish sauce, tamarind, lime and fresh vegetables. Peanuts and dried shrimp as a garnish give it extra flavour profiles. Spicy green papaya salad is popular all over Thailand and a refreshing meal to enjoy in the sun.

Thai fried rice is another favourite of locals and visitors alike. It can be made with any kind of meat, seafood or tofu, plus egg, vegetables and fruit. If you don't cope well with spicy food, you're on the safe side here, as the heat can be adjusted to taste. The rice is served with refreshing cucumber slices and lime, and you can season it however you like. Try Khao Pad Sapparod too, where the rice is served in a hollowed-out pineapple.

Chicken with cashew nuts is another dish you may already have seen on the menu at your local Thai restaurant. It's another example of how Thai cuisine can be simple and complex at the same time. The dish is often served with peppers or whatever vegetables are available, but the secret of its flavour lies in the sticky-sweet mixture of soy sauce, chillies and honey that coats it.

These are really three recommendations in one. The three essential Thai curries each have their own flavour, but we group them together because they all combine spices and creamy coconut milk into a soupy sauce. Each colour has its own level of heat: the green curries are usually considered the spiciest, the yellow ones the mildest.

Yellow curry (Kaeng Lueang) owes its colour to turmeric, which is mixed with other herbs and served with vegetables, potatoes and meat or tofu. For the medium-hot red curry (Kaeng Daeng), red chillies are pounded into a paste with lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Stirred with coconut milk, it's an excellent seasoning for various meats and is often served with basil or kaffir lime leaves. For green curry (Kaeng Khiao Wan), hot green chillies are combined with shallots, Thai basil, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Green curry is often made with vegetables such as aubergine, bamboo shoots and potatoes.

Guay Teow simply means “noodle soup” and describes a category of dishes rather than a specific one. You'll find these soups all over Thailand with chicken, pork, beef and egg or rice noodles. You might even be served a soup with meatballs or dumplings. What's decisive for the flavour are the garnishes you choose, such as fish sauce, lime juice or dried chillies.

Whichever main dish you choose, afterwards you should treat yourself to this popular dessert. Mango with sticky rice is a simple and delicious dish with slices of fresh mango on sticky rice, drizzled with coconut milk. If we had to choose one quintessential Thai dish, this would be it!

Of course, in Thailand you should also try pad thai. And if you're looking for good street food, try night-owl favourites such as Gai Tod (fried chicken), chicken satay or skewers of marinated seafood. You can also try Sai Oua, the sausage speciality from northern Thailand, or pork skewers with sticky rice. If you fancy something sweet, treat yourself to a mango shake, a bowl of coconut ice cream or Kluay Tod, fried bananas.

You can see that once we get going raving about Thai cuisine, it's hard to stop. What are you dying to eat? Make a list of your favourites and come with us on a trip to Thailand, where you can taste the country's best dishes to your heart's content!