Terra Thai

and you are in Bangkok, Thailand, waiting for a bus to go to work, and you see it there in the push carts in front of the bus station. Not today, you told yourself. 8.30 a.m., you arrive at work, and it’s there at the stalls around your office building. You keep your head low and walk in. 12.30 p.m., you decide not to go out for lunch, but then you see it on your co-worker’s desk, and have to clos

e your eyes. 7.00 p.m., just when you think you have avoided it, a phone rings. Thai street food is everywhere, all day. From early in morning to late at night, you can find snack foods like Lettuce Wrap ( #1) or complete meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Street food has only been popular since the 1960s when more Thais moved into cities to find work and eat out. Traditional spicy curry dishes, usually cooked at home, like Beef Panang Curry ( #7) and Green Curry ( #8) found their way into the street and have become an important part of the street food repertoire. The Chinese immigrants in the twentieth century also brought with them hawkers selling pre-cooked, ready-to-eat foods from their home town. Many of these deceptively simple dishes like Chicken Rice ( #4) and Sweet BBQ Pork over Rice ( #5) have been popular ever since.


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Noodle is another important Chinese influence on Thai street food. Curried Noodle ( #6) made its way from the south of China to the northern part of Thailand. You can also detect a Muslim influence, in the turmeric flavor. As cities expanded even further, workers from the north-east region spread out to find works. Sticky rice, an important part of their meals, also became popular all over the country. It usually accompanies the foods that have very strong flavors - spicy, salty, sweet, and tart. Sticky Rice with Heavenly Pork ( #2) or Grilled Chicken ( #3) and Green Papaya Salad ( #9) are popular countrywide. The most recent addition to the street food culture is perhaps the vegetarian dishes. A dish like Vegie Satay Curry ( #10) is currently becoming much easier to find. We at Terra Thai love these street foods, and believe it’s about time to bring Thai street food here the way it’s supposed to be eaten, the way we like it – fast, fun, and flavorful.