THAI FOOD, FOOD THAILAND
   EMARKETTHAILAND

Foodservice institutions are embracing this trend, providing a wide range of offerings that are attractive across cultural lines. Prepared Foods, April, 2006 by Maria Caranfa, Ben Kenney

Thai                                                                     

Thai cuisine has been developing over the years in accordance with the outside influences from western cultures. It has had a steady increase, according to Mintel Menu Insights. One of the first dishes to introduce Thai cuisine to the general mainstream casual menu is the popular Thai Pizza. It is one of the original pizzas on the California Pizza Kitchen menu, whose Thai Pizza combines pieces of chicken breast marinated in a spicy peanut-ginger and sesame sauce, mozzarella cheese, green onions, bean sprouts, julienne carrots, cilantro and roasted peanuts. California Pizza Kitchen combines two traditional Thai flavors--salty and sweet--into its Thai creation.  
                           
here is a video on tom yam seafood    here are Thai food recipe     here is Thai frozen food


The industry is seeing a new spin on old, traditional favorites. The Mediterranean cuisines of Italy and Greece have been widely popular in the restaurant industry. Today, this cuisine is becoming more universal through the use of authentic ingredients and presentation of unique menu item offerings. Newer ethnic cuisines, such as Island and Thai, are experiencing growth in the restaurant industry due to their authentic and exotic flavors.

More traditional restaurants are now serving Thai lettuce wraps, pad Thai and curry. Lettuce wraps, usually constructed by the customer and eaten with the hands, offer a light and exotic touch to appetizer menus. A steady presence on restaurant menus, they are open to varied ingredient combinations. Popular fillings for lettuce wraps include chicken, water chestnuts, shrimps, bamboo shoots and black mushroom. Authentic Thai ingredients, including coconut, cilantro, tamarind and chilies, are an increasing presence on the restaurant menu.

Pad Thai literally means Thai-style frying, and it is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chili pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and cilantro. It usually is served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with the usual Thai condiments. Pad Thai is the most popular Thai dish served on restaurant menus, according to Mintel Menu Insights. The Cheesecake Factory serves a very authentic version of the Thai dish, incorporating all of the traditional ingredients, such as tamarind and lime.


Curry also is used in traditional Thai dishes, providing authentic flavoring and spice. The major ingredients of Thai curry are fresh herbs. A simple Thai curry paste consists of dried chilies, shallots and shrimp paste. More complex curries include garlic, galanga, coriander roots, lemongrass, kaffir lime peel and peppercorns.

Thai curry increased steadily on restaurant menus in 2005. According to Mintel Menu Insights, the most popular curry varieties on menus included regular curry, green curry, yellow curry, Panang curry and red curry.

Fine dining restaurants such as The Ryland Inn (Whitehouse, N.J.) and Oysters (Corona del Mar, Calif.) serve traditional Thai curry dishes on their menus. The Ryland Inn serves beef tenderloin with green curry, coconut, kaffir lime and steamed rice. Oysters serves a Thai fusion dish of Red Curry Marinated New Zealand Lamb Trio, with roasted sunchokes, sauteed spinach, garlic comfit and Thai basil gnocchi.

Food made in Thailand has many variation and it makes sense to get prepared food like this Japanese Sushi since it cuts a whole kitchen, just take it change the conteiner for a plate and thats it. It even includes soya sauce and wasabi. Many variants are available, this foos stays good for about 5 days when refrigerated.

Mediterranean Cuisine--Italian, Greek and Moroccan

Menus are teaching the Italian language of food with the use of authentic and regional Italian dishes and ingredients. Restaurant menus have seen a steady growth in the use of authentic Italian ingredients such as fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and figs. Fresh mozzarella gained popularity in Caprese salads, pizza, sandwiches and pasta. According to Mintel Menu Insights, Caprese menu items had a 5% increase on restaurant menus since June 2004. Caprese menu items, popular among all dining types, offer the fresh natural flavor of creamy fresh mozzarella, partnered with fresh tomatoes and basil. Romano's Macaroni Grill added the taste of the Italian region of Campagna with the addition of buffalo mozzarella to the restaurant's menus. It offers Mozzarella alla Caprese, featuring imported buffalo mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinaigrette.

Prosciutto adds a taste of northern Italy to menus. Parma, a northern city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, is famous for its Prosciutto di Parma. Prosciutto di Parma, along with other varieties of prosciutto, including duck and lamb prosciutto, has made a strong impression on U.S. Italian dining. Prosciutto provides an additional saltiness to pizzas, ravioli filling or it can be wrapped around a sweet slice of cantaloupe.

This menu flavor addition has assisted in the introduction of saltimbocca. In Italian, saltimbocca literally means "it jumps in the mouth." Saltimbocca traditionally is prepared with veal and prosciutto rolled together and cooked with sage. Restaurants have adjusted the recipe to include chicken, pork and lobster. Cincinnati's Sturkey's offers Lobster saltimbocca made with prosciutto di Parma, sage and cannellini beans.
Figs have been around since the beginning of time. According to Mintel Menu Insights, figs have seen a 20% increase on restaurant menus in 2005. Top chefs deserve credit for using the southern Italian ingredient in extraordinary ways. Chef Alfred Portale of New York's Gotham Bar and Grill serves Seared Foie Gras with a warm black mission fig tart, apple fennel puree, and aged sherry vinegar caramel. Chef Monica Pope of Houston's T'afia serves her signature cheesecake, appropriately named "Monica's Best Cheesecake," with a walnut crust, Medjool date, and fig puree.

The Mediterranean category also captured a spot on standard American menus with the popular Greek salad. According to Mintel Menu Insights, the Greek salad is one of the top 10 salads offered on restaurant menus across all dining types. Ingredients from the salads have transferred to more mainstream fare, including pizza, omelets, sandwiches and wraps. Elements of feta cheese, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, kalamata olives, and red onion are key flavors that can be found in many Greek menu offerings.

Authentic Greek dishes such as spanakopita, dolma and sweet baklava surfaced on more mainstream restaurant menus in late 2005. Huntington, N.Y.'s 34-New Street serves spanakopita--extra-large traditional triangles of phyllo dough, filled with spinach, feta, and fresh herbs, served with a yogurt-dill sauce and a Greek side salad. Malek's Pizza (Springfield, Va.) serves dolma--cabbage leaves stuffed with ground beef, rice and herbs, topped with a home-style tomato sauce served with basmati rice and mixed vegetables. Miami Subs (Westbury, N.Y.) has added baklava, a Greek pastry made with honey, walnuts and phyllo dough, to its menu.

Island Cuisine--Cuban, Puerto Rican, Jamaican and Hawaiian

Cuban, Puerto Rican, Jamaican and Hawaiian influences can be seen in restaurant Island cuisine. Due to the diverse multicultural influences in these areas, Island regions provide unique and layered cultural food experiences. These regions have strong influences from surrounding countries in Central and South America, Europe and Asia.

Cuban cuisine influences incorporate a fusion of Caribbean and Spanish cuisine, a result of the Spanish invasion in the early 16th century. Popular Cuban staples in the U.S. are black beans and rice and fried plantains. American restaurants recognize the Cuban traditions and serve traditional cultural dishes. Bahama Breeze (Orlando, Fla.) offers a traditional bowl of homemade Cuban Black Bean Soup, served with yellow rice. Kelly's Cajun Grill (Coral Gables, Fla.) offers sweet plantains as an optional side with several of its menu items. Plantains experienced an increase of close to 10% on restaurant menus throughout 2005, per Mintel Menu Insights.

The most popular Cuban menu item currently on restaurant menus is the Cuban sandwich. Traditionally, the Cuban sandwich is a combination of buttered Cuban bread, dill pickles, roast pork, ham and Swiss cheese, all layered and pressed until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. What makes this sandwich authentically Cuban is the preparation of the roast pork, giving it a garlic citrus flavor. Shari's (Red Bluff, Calif.) serves a Cuban sandwich with pulled pork, smoked deli ham, and Swiss cheese with a cool dill pickle center, lightly steamed in a warm, crisp ciabatta bread. Restaurants from quick service to fine dining have added a Cuban sandwich to the menu in late 2005. Restaurants include Cousin's Subs (Menomonee Falls, Wis.), Jacksonville, Fla.'s Larry's Giant Subs, Spago Las Vegas, Damon's in Schaumburg, Ill., and Oakwood Bistro of Kalamazoo, Mich.

Puerto Rican cuisine is mildly reminiscent of its Spanish roots, and also has Amerindian and African influences. A common authentic Puerto Rican ingredient on restaurant menus is sofrito. In Puerto Rico, sofrito (a sauce of tomatoes, roasted peppers, onions and herbs, richly colored with annatto seed) is a condiment-like sauce used in many ways. New York's New World Grill serves pan-seared halibut with warm sofrito, grilled polenta, saut6ed spinach and wild mushrooms. In Chicago, Salpicon recently added sopa de chicharos to its menu, an English pea soup garnished with avocados, serranos and sofrito.
Hawaiian-inspired cuisine resembles food of other island cultures, Polynesia and cuisine specific to Asian countries. It has a unique flair to it and has rapidly crossed over into traditional American menus. A slice of the Hawaiian Islands can be enjoyed in the U.S. by visiting a local pizzeria or deli. Popular Hawaiian-inspired dishes on the menu are Hawaiian pizza, Hawaiian wraps, Hawaiian chicken, ahi tuna and Hawaiian-inspired BBQ ribs.

Hawaiian concept restaurants are introducing authentic Hawaiian cuisine to the mainland American palate. L&L Barbecue in Champaign, Ill., first was opened on the island of Honolulu. In 1976, Eddie Flores, Jr., and Kwock Yum Kam concocted plate lunches that captivated the flavor of the islands. The restaurant is now serving authentic Hawaiian fare on both the West and East coasts. The most popular dish on L&L Barbecue's menu is saimin, a native Hawaiian dish that bears Asian influence. Saimin is a soup dish of soft wheat egg noodles served in hot dashi, a stock from Japanese bonito fish or shrimp. Developed during Hawaii's plantation era and inspired by Asian noodle soups, saimin can be enjoyed with beef, chicken, shrimp or Spam at L&L Barbecue.

Roy's in Newport Beach, Calif., is the creation of chef Roy Yamaguchi, based on his childhood memories of the feelings and flavors of Hawaii. Yamaguchi invented what he refers to as "Hawaiian Fusion" cuisine. One of his classic dishes is Roasted Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi with lobster butter sauce. Yamaguchi stays on track in identifying Hawaiian cuisine, while incorporating other popular flavors and trends of Western Europe and Asia.

Mintel Menu Insights, a part of Mintel International Group, is a key resource for analyzing trends in the U.S. restaurant industry. The database tracks menu trends and innovations from the 350 largest chain restaurants and 150 independent restaurants, also featuring the nation's top 50 chefs. Trends are reported quarterly, offering insight into pricing, menu items, ingredients, preparations and entirely new menus. For more information, visit www.menuinsights.com or contact Mintel International at 312-932-0600.

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Delicious pad Thai noodles: the versatility of this dish makes it satisfying for everyoneby Lisa Carruthers

I have to be honest: I'm a novice when it comes to Thai cooking, but I know what I like to eat. I started enjoying Thai food a couple of years ago, and pad Thai noodles are a favorite. The dish's exotic taste is such a consistent treat, it has become one of my comfort foods.

The essentials for this dish can vary from garden-variety items available at any grocery store to hard-to-find Asian specialties. Traveling to several stores just to find the ingredients defeats our goal of making a quick and easy dish, so I decided to use those that could be easily found in most markets. I don't think the flavor was compromised. The rice noodles used in this recipe are widely available, or can be substituted with semolina linguine pasta. Rice noodles cook much more quickly and have a lighter consistency.

Some pad Thai dishes use pickled garlic and tamarind, which may not be readily available; the tomato paste and paprika used here give the noodles the familiar red tint as well as seasoning. I used more garlic than is found in most recipes because of its powerful flavor and health benefits. The serrano chili also gives a nice flavor, without overpowering the other seasonings.

The protein source can vary, but it should be a combination unless you want the dish to be strictly vegetarian. For instance, you could use cubed firm tofu alone, or mixed with shrimp or turkey. Traditional recipes use 2-3 whole eggs, which add protein and flavor. I reduced the fat by using significantly less oil than other recipes, and by using egg whites instead of whole eggs.

I haven't seen any pad Thai noodles with asparagus, but I added it to increase the vegetable content. Asparagus is commonly found in other Thai dishes, so it seems like a good fit here. Green beans would be a good alternative if you don't care for asparagus or it isn't in season.

Although the monounsaturated fat found in peanuts is healthful, the calories can add up. I used just a small amount of peanuts, but still enough to provide the subtle flavor that's unique to Thai cooking.

An average serving of a traditional pad Thai dish racks up 603 calories, 30 grams of fat and about 2,100 mg of sodium. This lighter version contains just 286 calories, 8 grams of fat and 815 mg of sodium. Enjoy!

RELATED ARTICLE: * PAD THAI NOODLES

8 oz, linguine-style rice stick noodles
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1/2 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 lb. shrimp, deveined and cut lengthwise
1/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4 -inch cubes
1 bunch (about 15 or so) asparagus tips
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 egg whites
1 Tbsp. chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup bean sprouts
Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water for about three minutes; drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat, then add onion. The key to using a wok is to stir the ingredients constantly to ensure even cooking. Use a narrow wooden spatula or similar tool that won't scratch the wok's cooking surface. Cook until onions turn clear, then stir in garlic, chili and paprika. Cook about 30 seconds, then add shrimp and chicken, cooking until shrimp turns pink and chicken turns white. Add asparagus and cook until tender. Set mixture aside but leave wok on.

In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, fish sauce, tomato paste and sugar. Set aside. Pour egg whites into heated wok, chopping them as they scramble. Add noodles, shrimp/chicken mixture and rice vinegar mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook until ingredients are well mixed. Serve on a large platter. Sprinkle peanuts on top, then garnish with cilantro. Place carrots in a clump on one side of the platter, and do the same with bean sprouts on the other side. Makes six servings.

Serving suggestions: For extra heat, top with chili paste or sliced jalapeno peppers. This dish makes a nice accompaniment to soup or salad. Per serving: 286 calories, 16 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 3 g fiber.

Lisa Carruthers, MS, RD, is a nutritionist in Westlake Village, California. She has a bachelor's degree in nutrition from San Diego State University and a master's in nutrition from California State University, Northridge. You can reach her at lowfatcook@aol.com.

BY LISA CARRUTHERS, MS, RD

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Boxed Thai food takes some work

Deseret News (Salt Lake City),by Supermarket Sampler

Annie Chun's Noodles and Sauce. Pad Thai Rice Noodles With Classic Pad Thai Sauce and Chow Mein Noodles With Peanut Sesame Sauce.

$2.99 per 8.1- or 8.2-ounce box.

Bonnie: Annie Chun's makes convenience Asian foods for those who like to cook -- at least a little. For her delicious Pad Thai variety you'll need to purchase bean sprouts, scallions, chicken, tofu, peanuts, limes and cilantro, cut up and/or cook those ingredients for use in the dish. Once that's done, it will take about 10 minutes to make an almost-restaurant-quality dish.

The Chow Mein Noodles With Peanut Sesame Sauce requires fewer ingredients but a bit more chopping. Both produce food that doesn't taste like it came out of a box.

Carolyn: Of course these Annie Chun dishes don't taste like they came out of a box, Bonnie. Most of what's in them comes from the produce department! All that Annie gives you is noodles, sauce and instruction.

In the case of the Chow Mein Noodles With Peanut Sauce kit, the latter may be the most important part. I have made a similar dish for lots less money using ramen noodles and bottled House of Tsang peanut sauce. But I only added broccoli and chicken. I never thought to add the chopped peanuts and sliced cucumber, peppers and carrots Annie suggests. This was worth buying once for that suggestion alone.

Though I've enjoyed pad thai in restaurants, I didn't much care for Annie's rendition. I thought its rice noodle base and sauce both pretty flavorless (the lime I added was stronger than either). And apparently I'm not alone, because its box contains an insert suggesting yet more ingredients you could supply to up the flavor. In short, these dinner kits are an expensive substitute for a good, simple Thai cookbook.

Dannon Frusion Smoothies. Banana Berry Blend, Wild Berry Blend, Peach Passion Fruit Blend and Tropical Fruit Blend. $1.49 per 10- ounce bottle.

Bonnie: Yogurt maker Dannon has blended lowfat yogurt and fruit to create these new Frusion smoothies. A serving of Frusion is almost 50 percent larger than Dannon's sugar-free Light 'n' Fit Smoothies.

That, plus Frusion's lack of sugar substitutes, obviously makes it higher in calories. Frusion also contains 3.5 grams fat to Light 'n' Fit's none.

I still prefer Frusion to any drink with artificial sweeteners, but I like Stonyfield Farm's Organic and Tropicana's Fruit smoothies even better. Both are slightly lower in sugars and amazingly rich in fiber (3 to 5 grams per bottle); despite its fruit content Dannon contains none.

Carolyn: Last year whipped yogurt was the thing. Now all the yogurt companies are rushing to market drinks. Dannon Smoothies taste about as good as Tropicana's -- that is to say, great -- but are considerably thicker, which makes a certain amount of sense considering that Tropicana is a juice company and Dannon a yogurt specialist. In other words, this is more like a true smoothie than a yogurt drink.

It's also extremely filling. How filling? I drank half a bottle in place of my usual yogurt and still felt full. If only all life experiences could be as satisfying!

Good Humor-Breyers Minis Snack-Size Ice Cream Novelties. Popsicle Ice Cream Sandwiches, Popsicle Ice Cream Pops, Fudgsicles and Klondike Bars. $3.79 per 18- to 24-ounce box containing 12 mini bars or pops.

Bonnie: If you're a regular reader of this column, you know that I'm always touting portion control as a tool for better eating. Well, now the folks at Good Humor-Breyers are making portion control easier with the introduction of these minis.

If you like regular Fudgsicles, ice cream sandwiches and bars, you'll probably like these. I say probably because the mini Fudgsicles didn't taste the same as I remember from when I was a kid. (The folks at Good Humor-Breyers tell me they reformulated Fudgsicles at the end of last year, not for just the minis.)

I'm sure it's also true that my taste has become more sophisticated along with my sense of humor. As a kid I'm sure I would have giggled at this joke on the Fudgsicle stick -- "What do cows do for fun? They go to the moovies." -- instead of just getting a twinkle in my eye.

Carolyn: There's a good reason for these new mini Popsicle, Fudgsicle and Klondike ice cream novelties not being called kid- size. They're every bit as appealing to adults who want a lot of snacking satisfaction for not a lot of calories or money. Money- wise, they're a bargain compared to the adult-aimed Dove Ice Cream Miniatures, for instance.

These Fudgsicle and chocolate-covered ice cream minis could have been even more visually appealing (i.e., cuter) if Good Humor had downsized the whole bars like they did with the Klondikes and the ice cream sandwiches rather than just make them thinner.

Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and professional speaker. Carolyn Wyman is a junk-food fanatic and author of "Jell-O: A Biography" (Harvest/Harcourt). Each week they critique three new food items. © Universal Press Syndicate

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A taste of Thailand - vegetarian fare in Thailand - Traveling Fare - Column
Vegetarian Times, by Stephen Carroll

The Menam Chao Phraya is a wide, muddy river that flows through the heart of Thailand. Its tributaries drain most of the country, including the rice fields of the central plain which have fed the Kingdom for centuries. Although modern Bangkok sprawls along roads in all directions, the river is the center of the city. Along its banks are Bangkok's oldest temples, its largest produce market, the Grand Palace and the famous Oriental Hotel. Here, too, are the Chinese-Thai neighborhoods that are an intriguing mix of residences, small manufacturing operations, offices and shops.

All day long, high-speed "long-tailed" boats roar up and down the river carrying sightseers, while at night, floating restaurants carry diners in a long slow loop up and down the river. River transportation is also a popular alternative to Bangkok's grid-locked roads. From 6 in the morning until 7 at night, public river boats travel the Chao Phraya. For less than 50 cents, you can journey for miles past wooden houseboats, temples, riverside restaurants and newer luxury hotels.

If you visit in the fall, you might notice crowds of people, bright lights and colorful banners surrounding a small riverside temple, Wat Josue Kong (wat means temple in Thai). This is Bangkok's vegetarian festival, the Festival of the Nine Imperial Gods, which takes place during the first nine days of the ninth Chinese lunar month. (This year, it began Sept. 23 and ended Oct. 1; next year it will begin on Oct. 11 and end on Oct. 20. Getting off at the next boat stop to investigate low the congested streets parallel to the river. You walk past storefront machine shops where metal-smiths pound hot steel into boat anchors and crowbars, past crews of young men braiding half-inch thick steel cables and down narrow streets lined with piles of truck axles and engine parts. Then you turn a comer and follow a growing stream of people moving toward a small, crowded street aglow with fluorescent lights. Now you're in the Thalad Noi area of Bangkok's Chinatown (near the end of Charoen Krung Road's Soi 20). It's about a 20-minute walk up river from the Sheraton Hotel's River City complex, although the Harbor Department express boat stop is the closest one to the festival.

Here, the grimy storefront machine shops are obscured by rows of vendors selling lotus flowers, fruits, candles, incense and brightly colored religious objects. Scores of other vendors are selling fried, boiled, steamed and roasted vegetarian foods. Walk through the gauntlet of vendors and you find yourself in a large covered square, half of which is filled with folding tables, chairs and impromptu kitchens. The other half contains a large, raised altar bearing three-foot tall candles and huge, smoldering logs of incense.

At one end of the square is a Chinese-Thai Buddhist temple hung with banners and lit with neon lights. At the other end is a Chinese opera stage where characters in dramatic makeup and sequined costumes act out scenes to the sound of gongs and stringed instruments. In front of you, a woman and her daughter kneel at the altar and male attendants carry a log of incense over their shoulders.

The vegetarian festival is a centuries-old Taoist celebration that began in southern China. Legend has it that the festival originated at a time of flood, fire and famine from which people were saved by Guanyin, the goddess of mercy. To thank her, the people invited nine gods to join them for a festival of purification in which their sins and those of their ancestors would be washed away. As part of the purification, celebrants adhere to a vegetarian practice, known in Thai as kin jeh, for the 10-day festival. Eating meat and eggs is prohibited, as well as garlic, green and yellow onions and shallots. These aromatic foods are believed to excite or heat up the body, a condition not conducive to worship and meditation. (A similar prohibition against onion and garlic exists in orthodox Hindu cooking.)

Today, most of the people who participate in the festival are Chinese-Thai. The entire event has a family atmosphere, with carnival games and even a small ferris wheel. At noon the first day, there is an inaugural ceremony during which the gods are invited to the festival. On subsequent days, there are Chinese opera performances, as well as a procession honoring the god of birth and death. Toward the end of the festival, celebrants release turtles and fish to help carry away their sins, and launch floats with candles and flowers to pay respect to their ancestors and the gods. On the last full day, alms are given to the poor, and in the evening a large and colorful procession of worshippers headed by monks, drummers and a 12-person Chinese dragon circles the temple area three times to bid the gods farewell. Ceremonies at noon the next day close the festival.

Throughout the festival, street vendors dole out seemingly endless quantities of one-plate vegetarian meals and traditional Chinese-style sweets. Most vendors specialize in one or two dishes. The most popular one-plate meals are noodle dishes. There are fried, round, chewy noodles of yellow wheat and thin rice noodles served with mushrooms, grated radish, tofu, Chinese kale and soy sauce; noodle dishes with mushrooms and faux meatballs made from wheat gluten; and noodle soups made with tofu or several varieties of mushrooms.

Other stands offer vegetarian versions of common Thai dishes such as red curry with green beans and faux pork, or stir-fried tofu with snow peas and baby corn. All are available on a bed of rice for 20 baht (about 80 cents). Several restaurants on nearby Charoen Krung Road (near Wat Mangkong) offer even wider selections of Thai-style dishes for similar prices. In place of the traditional fish sauce, they use a sauce made of soy sauce and herbs.

One of the most delicious dishes offered at the festival is also one of the most dramatic to watch being prepared. Pak boong fai daeng is a simple stir-fry dish in which a pile of pak boong (a mild leafy green with arrow shaped leaves and hollow stems) is roughly chopped and heaped in a bowl, then topped with chili peppers, fermented soybean paste and a dash of sugar. Vegetable oil is heated to the smoking point in a wok, and the contents of the bowl are dumped in and stirred quickly while a red flame (fai daeng) leaps up from the wok. As the flame fades, the contents are turned out onto a plate and rushed to the diner's table.

The snack foods at the festival include a variety of baked or deep-fried Chinese-style snacks filled with sweetened bean paste, coconut or taro root. There are also deep-fried egg rolls and vegetable fritters served with a sweet, spicy dipping sauce, as well as fried taro root pancakes. A vegetarian version of the popular Northeastern Thai/Lao green papaya salad, som tham, is also popular. It combines shredded papaya, lime juice, palm sugar, chili peppers, sliced tomatoes, green beans and julienned mushrooms, pounded together wooden mortar and pestle and served on a plate with fresh greens and balls of glutinous rice.

There are also vegetarian festivals in the southern Thai cities of Phuket and Trang. These festivals are even more exotic than Bangkok's, featuring acetic feats by young male followers, such as body piercing and climbing ladders of razors. The festival is also spreading throughout Bangkok. This year, there were yellow and red pennants with the Chinese symbol for kin jeh on restaurants and food vendors' carts all over the city. During the festival, many hotels and restaurants offer vegetarian buffets or add special vegetarian items to their menus. Some of the larger restaurants advertise these offerings in Thailand's English-language newspapers.

The festival is certainly the most exciting way to experience

Thailand's vegetarian cuisine.

But any time of year, delicious and inexpensive vegetarian food is fairly easy to find here. All you need is some persistence and a few Thai phrases.

The Chinese restaurants along Yaorat and Chaoen Krung roads are generally good places to look for vegetarian food. If it is not festival time, tell the waiter that you are a vegetarian: "khon kin jeh." Your food will be free of meat, eggs, dairy and fish sauce, and probably without garlic or onions as well. If a menu in English is not available (many places have them), you can usually order by pointing to the fresh ingredients that most restaurants prominently display, pantomiming which ingredients you do and don't want.

In addition to the Chinese-Thai vegetarian tradition, there is a vegetarian movement taking root in Thailand. The group behind this movement is called Santi Asoke, a back-to-basics Buddhist group founded in the 1970s that advocates a simple lifestyle, herbal medicine, vegetarianism and organic farming. Unlike most Buddhists in Thailand, Santi Asoke adherents take the Buddhist injunction against taking life as an exhortation not to eat meat or eggs. In contrast, most Thai Buddhists (monks included) believe that eating meat is not equivalent to "taking a life" - as long as they didn't personally kill the animal. Santi Asoke has upset the mainstream Thai Buddhist hierarchy by criticizing mainstream Buddhism's tolerance of meat eating, gambling, drinking, prostitution and consumerism. In response, the Buddhist hierarchy challenged the legitimacy of the Santi Asoke practices, forbidding the Santi Asoke monks from wearing Buddhist robes or even calling themselves Buddhists.

Despite their disdain for meat eating, Santi Asoke cooks make every attempt to replicate the texture of meat through the use of wheat gluten. Their restaurants and food shops, or sala mahansawalat, are increasingly popular. They are only open during the day, and are almost always packed. Food is served cafeteria-style and meals are cheap even by Thai standards: a bowl of noodles or a serving of food over rice costs about six baht (25 cents). They offer vegetarian versions of many Thai dishes, such as sweet-and-sour faux chicken with vegetables, or Northeastern Thai/Lao-style salad with chopped shallots, mint leaves, onions, chili peppers and faux chopped pork. These restaurants serve their meals with brown rice (most Thais like their rice as white as snow). Their curry pastes and spicy dipping sauces use a vegetarian "shrimp" paste made of fermented soy beans which looks and smells very much like the real thing.

In Bangkok, the largest Santi Asoke restaurant is on Kamphaengphet Road (behind the small city bus parking lot near the pedestrian bridge) just south and west of the large weekend market on the north side of town. There are also Santi Asoke restaurants in many other cities including Nakorn Pathom, Korat, Ubon Ratchatani and Chiang Mai.

Vegetarians can also eat their fill at a good vegetarian restaurant right around the corner from the main train station in Bangkok. Just walk east about 50 yards down Rama IV Road and you will find a small enclosed restaurant that offers only Chinese-style vegetarian food. Bangkok's many Indian restaurants all offer vegetarian dishes, as do most of the low-budget guesthouse restaurants. The Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Bangkok has a vegetarian cafeteria that serves both Thai- and Western-style vegetarian food. There are also upscale restaurants in Bangkok and Chiang Mai that mainly cater to foreign vegetarians.

You won't go hungry in Thailand any time of the year. But if you have a spirit of adventure, come during the vegetarian festival. You'll be rewarded with authentic Thai vegetarian cookery unavailable anywhere else in the world. It's a countrywide festival of tastes.

Stephen Carroll was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand for two years. He now works as a baker in Kalamazoo, Mich.
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