you voted:

the international cuisine poll came to a close this morning,

& the winner, with 31% of the votes, is:

let me tell you a little bit about this cuisine:

thai cuisine emphasizes on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. it is known for being spicy, however, balance, detail & variety are important elements in thai cooking. it is known for its balance of the five fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal:

spicy . sour . sweet . salty . bitter

thai food is heavily influenced by its surrounding countries & regions:

burma . the chinese provence of yunnan . laos . cambodia . malaysia

meals typically consist of either a single dish {or} rice served with many complimentary dishes served concurrently & shared by all. it is customary to serve more dishes than there are guests at a table.

this cuisine is often served with a variety of sauces & condiments:

chili flakes . sweet chili sauce . sliced chili peppers in rice vinegar . sriracha sauce

cucumber is sometimes eaten to cool the mouth.

thai cuisine is extremely varied & features many different ingredients & ways of preparing food. it is known for its use of fresh herbs & spices:

cilantro . lemon grass . thai basil . mint

with other common flavors:

ginger . tamarind . turmeric . garlic . soy beans . shallots . pepper . lime . chilies

fish sauce is a staple ingredient & imparts a unique character to thai food.

rice is a staple grain of thai cuisine. the sweet-smelling jasmine rice is indigenous to thailand; it grows in abundance in thailand's central plains. steamed rice is accompanied by highly aromatic curries, stir-fries & other dishes. noodles are popular but usually come as a single dish or in the form of a noodle soup.

i can't wait to bring you the thai menu i came up with for april!

until next time,