Popular THAI Dishes

The South-East Asian country, Thailand has become one of the most popular tourist destinations today. Every year, thousands of tourists from different parts of the world visit this country to spend a memorable vacation. There are several reasons that have added to the popularity of this country. The wide range of activities and affordable holiday deals are obviously the most important reasons behind tourist attractions. Nowadays, many companies have established their offices in Thailand, and the country also attracts numerous people for professional reasons. Whether you are planning a trip to Thailand for professional reasons, or just for an entertaining holiday, you should taste the mouthwatering dishes offered here. Whether you are in Phuket, Bangkok or Pattaya, you should taste the Thai dishes in your trip. Thai cuisines have received immense popularity among the tourists. If you do not check out the dishes, your trip will certainly remain incomplete. However, if you do not have any idea of the popular Thai dishes, and do not want to take a chance with unknown cuisines.

Pad Thai Or Fried Noodle
Pad Thai or the fried noodle preparation is one of the most popular Thai dishes.  Prepared with vegetables, fish sauce, eggs, tamarind juice, crushed peanuts, red chili pepper and other seasonings, Pad Thai is available in almost all eateries. However, for the best taste, you should opt for the fresh cooked noodles.

Kang Keaw Wan Kai or Chicken Curry(Green)
The name might not initially allow you to experiment with the dish. However, if you taste it, you will surely like this little spicy and sweet chicken curry. Prepared with sugar, fish sauce, coconut milk and green chili paste, this chicken curry is an excellent side dish with rice.

Tom Kha Kai  Or Chicken In Coconut Milk Soup
Tom Kha Kai is one of the most popular chicken soups offered in Thailand. Prepared with different types of edible herbs, this soup is high on nutritional values. If you prefer non-spicy dish, this is for you. Yet, if you want you can get it seasoned with fish sauce, lime and chili.

Tom Yam Goong or Spicy Shrimp Soup
When you are in Thailand, you should taste shrimp preparations at least once. The sour and spicy, Tom Yam Goong is one of the traditional dishes of Thailand, and is known to be the most popular shrimp soups prepared in Thailand. You can undoubtedly refer it as the signature dish of this country.

Tom Yam Gai  or Chicken Soup(Spicy)
The clear chicken soup, Tom Yam Gai enjoys popularity among people who are not very much fond of the shrimp dishes. Though this is a less spicy soup, you can add fish sauce, chili and lime seasonings to make it delicious.

Panaeng or Meat in Spicy Coconut Cream
If you are looking for beef or pork dishes, Panaeng is for you. The sweet and spicy dish can be prepared with pork, beef and even chicken. This preparation is best served with steamed rice. Similar to Thai red curry, it has a rich and thick gravy, which makes it perfect side-dish with rice.

Moo Sa-Te or Grilled Pork Sticks with Turmeric
Moo Sa-Te is also a popular pork recipe in Thailand. Curry powder and turmeric sauce, when added to grilled pork brings a mouthwatering taste. If you want to taste some yummy pork preparations, you should not miss this dish. Served with saucy dips, this dish is available in almost all the restaurants.

Som Tam or Spicy Papaya Salad
Spicy Papaya Salad or Som Tam is known for its sour and spicy flavor. This spicy salad is prepared with fresh vegetables like tomato, beans and papaya. Served with sticky rice and grilled chicken, Som Tam will surely make you fall in love with Thai cuisines.

Gai Pad Met Mamuang or Cashew Nuts In Stir-Fried Chicken
Gai Pad Met Mamuang does not match with the conventional Thai dishes. Yet, it is one of the most popular Thai preparations. The salty and sweet fried chicken and cashew nut is best for someone who is not fond of spicy or sour dishes. It is also ideal for children.

Por Pia Tord or Fried Spring Roll
If you are looking for the perfect appetizer, fried spring roll or the Por Pia Tord is for you. Served with sweet and sour sauce, this appetizer is not very spicy, and will not affect your diet chart to a great extent.

For Chocolate Lovers

Be it the melt in the mouth experience or the rich essence of cacao beans, chocolates have always been a unanimous favorite. Whatever be the age, a box of chocolate is pretty hard to resist. It comes in dazzling varieties and is one of the most savored delicacies. It’s like a food filled with emotions. For some, chocolates can be more than just a delight. Acting as a mood elevator, chocolates can lift the surrounding gloom and set in a happy feeling. Chocolates are also one of the best gifts possible. The origin of chocolates is not certain, but if the words are to be believed it dates back to the pre-Columbian periods when Americans drank chocolate with vanilla or chili peppers. After much integration, it is now counted under the most popular flavors. Innumerous brands keep popping up with different forms of chocolates. Thereby chocoholics face no setbacks in their task. Where the presentation of the chocolates plays a major role in its marketing, it’s the quality which actually steals the show. 

Ferrero Rocher
The three layers of the alluring chocolate is a winner on its own accord. First the milk chocolate, a bite of the crunchy wafer and cream and then the roasted hazelnut core. On top of that the glittery golden package. The tempting sphere is the ideal choice for the top rung.

Swiss Thins (LINDT)
The not so sweet chocolate has been a worthy pick for the last 160 years. The Switzerland based brand was built in 1845. The brand has contributed too many chocolate bars that are well known amongst all ages. Black chocolate is its forte. Sold in over 80 countries, the brand gives nothing short of quality.

Guylian
It hit the market pretty late. However the milk chocolates produced by the brand cannot be ignored at all. Guylian chocolates are a bit more on the sweeter side and are appropriate for sweet lovers. It even abounds in variety and can be selected from a huge range of assortments.

Maxinm’s
This is one of the high priced chocolates available in the market. Satisfying the chocoholics for a century now, the Maxinm’s are a symbol of elegance and class. The name itself has its reference in France mythology. The brand is infamous for the series of assortments that are highly exquisite. It ranges from milk chocolates to black chocolates and hazelnut milk chocolates.

Ducd’O
Milk chocolates, black chocolates or white chocolates. Pick your choice. Ducd’O offers a range of compound chocolates for a variety of taste buds. One can easily pick up a white chocolate if he detests bitter taste. If one prefers bitter to sweet, black chocolate is the ideal one. However, milk chocolate will satisfy the quest for both bitter and sweet.

Kinder Bueno
This brand features wafer as an essential addition to its soft chocolate. With a relatively average price, the brand widely reaches out to the chocolate lovers. The bright packaging makes the chocolate worth the bucks.

Dcolse
If there is any chocolate that stands out from the rest, it is Dcolse. What makes the difference perhaps is skillful packing and thus it has been alluring the lovers round the world. The company originated in Belgium and remains one of the most favorite chocolate brands.

M&M’s
People in US are strict admirers of this chocolate. The colorful display of the candies is appealing to the eyes. The chocolate comes in different colors like green and yellow and are coated with candies. Each piece has the letter ’M’ imprinted on it. There are a variety of candies like milk chocolate, mint, dark chocolate and peanut chocolates.

Belgian
As the name suggests, this chocolate originates from no place other than Belgium. Belgium ranks amongst the world’s foremost producer of chocolates. The Belgian chocolates scores high on quality and taste. The brand   makes use of upgraded technologies to remain at par with the other big names.

Toffifee
Toffkfee provides a cheaper resort to people. The chocolate markets in different flavors and has a classic essence. Even the ordinary flavor is anything but ordinary. It is Germany’s largest chocolate production base.

Common Food Allergies

Food allergies should not be confused with intolerance for certain food items. Lactose intolerance is caused by a scarcity of the enzyme lactase and can lead to bloating and digestive problems. Whereas,  a milk allergy can cause severe immediate or delayed reactions, whenever a food item containing milk in any form is consumed. Allergies which occur in childhood often go away after a certain length of time, but adult allergies normally remain through a lifetime.

The most common food Allergies are as follows:

Fish

Fish allergies are among the most widespread allergies in the world. Shellfish is frequently the main culprit but there are many who are allergic to all types of fish. It does not seem to affect children as much as it does adults, and in some cases people are allergic only to cooked fish and not raw fish. The reactions are severe and anaphylaxis can be one of the resultant problems

Shellfish

Shellfish allergy is probably the most common allergy among adults. It generally appears later in life and in some cases the reactions can occur even from airborne particles when shellfish is being boiled or cooked. Cat food which often has shellfish ingredients in it can also cause an allergic reaction.

Peanuts

Allergy to peanuts is also one of the world’s most prevalent ones. This allergy is different from nut allergy since peanuts are generally considered to be legumes rather than nuts. A lifelong allergy, in some cases it is so acute that even eating food from a utensil in which peanuts have been cooked earlier can cause an intense reaction.

Tree Nuts

Other nuts such as walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, macademia nuts, almonds and pecans can be a cause of an allergic reaction in some people. There are some who are allergic to only one kind of nut, but as a safety precaution they stay away from all varieties of nuts.

Eggs

This is one of the few allergies which seems to go away once a child grows older. The proteins in the eggs known as ovumucoid, ovalbumin and conalbumin are responsible for creating these allergies. Cooking does not kill all of them, hence eggs are not consumed in any form by these children or the rare adults who suffer from egg allergies.

Chocolate

Imagine having to live a life without being able to consume chocolates! But there are quite a few human beings who get a bad reaction when they consume chocolate in any form and have to maintain a distance from all products containing cocoa.

Wheat

Wheat is so much a part of a diet that it is difficult to eat a meal without consuming it in some form or the other. There are many allergenic components in wheat which cause different types of allergies but most of the get bundled under the common denominator of wheat or gluten allergy.

Milk

1% to 7% of the children all over the world suffer from some form of milk allergy, which is however often confused with lactose intolerance. Milk allergies are very prevalent among children and often carry over on even when they are adults. Dairy products in all forms are taboo for them, and this includes foods such as cheese and icecreams etc.

Soy

Many children who are allergic to milk are also allergic to soy. Lately soy has been used in much larger quantities in many prepared food items, hence the number of cases of soy allergy have been increasing. Many vegetarians, specially from East Asia use soya as one of the basic ingredients in their diet, thus it is difficult to avoid eating it in those households. However it is believed to be prevalent mainly among children and most of them outgrow it as they grow older.

Berries

It is rare to find a person who is allergic to berries of all types, but there are many who are unable to consume a particular type of berry. This is generally the care with raspberries or strawberries, and occasionally blackberries may be the culprit. It is much more prevalent in Western countries.

PKFZ: Spectre yet to be exorcised

Ong Tee Keat
June 11, 2012

The issue will never be resolved if the findings of independent panels were perceived to have been buried in the confidential dossiers on the investigators and prosecutors’ desks.
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May 28 has always been a red-letter day to me. This year, as we ushered in the uncelebrated third anniversary of the release of Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) audit report commissioned by the independent auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the multi-billion-ringgit financial debacle remains a relatively sensitive riddle within the corridors of power.

Amid the legal proceeding brought against two former transport ministers, the discerning public, perturbed by the magnitude of the debacle, is certainly yearning for more big names to be brought to the fore of justice.

I raised this (PKFZ) question in Parliament last year but it was, however, rejected on grounds of sub judice. Though disappointed, I could still grudgingly live with it in view of the fact that the probe by both the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) still appears to remain open-ended.

As the immediate past-transport minister who triggered the PwC review of the PKFZ issue and later commissioned a more thorough probe into the 20 points of doubts raised by PwC, the much- laboured findings would certainly remain indelible in my memory.

Though my ministerial tenure was unceremoniously terminated, I am still hopeful to see that the confidential report compiled by the panel would ultimately do the taxpayers’ monies justice by bringing the culprits to book.

Any contemplated bid to obscure the self-revealing findings for fear of creating further damage to the ruling party is deemed inexpedient as any perceived cover-up would only alienate the people further.

The onus is now on such authorities as the police, MACC and Attorney-General’s Chambers as the findings had been handed to them to facilitate investigation as early as August 2009.

How long would they take to conclude their probe is beyond the realm of public knowledge. But it is within my right to seek clarification on the current status of the findings collectively compiled by the panel members who are helming the various professional bodies.

It would be unkind to accuse anybody revisiting the issue of thirsting for the blood of those culprits implicated in the debacle. But any inaction to punish the perpetrators of the alleged fraudulent claims in the mammoth project would readily be misconstrued as a form of tacit connivance of misdeeds designed to challenge the check-and-balance mechanisms within the establishment.

To the discerning taxpayers, the ultimate punishment of the perpetrators under the laws of the land is not going to mark the end of the episode so long as no serious recovery of public funds that had been fraudulently siphoned off is made.

Likewise, the taxpayers cannot simply turn a blind eye to the challenging future of the mega-transhipment hub in the face of its present difficulties in turning it around.

On June 10, 2009, hardly two weeks after the release of the PwC report, three independent panels were immediately established by me as the then minister to explore the possibilities of turning around the project, in addition to recommending structural revamp of statutory bodies to facilitate good corporate governance, especially within all port authorities and deep-diving into the 20 anomalies raised by PwC.

The turnaround task was swiftly taken over by the high-powered Cabinet committee headed by the Chief Secretary of the Cabinet.

No progress at all

But todate, no sign of a turnaround has ever been sighted. The repeated appeals to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to reschedule the high-profile RM4.6 billion loan with a downward revision of interest rate from 4% to 2% went unheeded.

The perceived elusiveness on the part of the Ministry of Transport (MOT) in answering a pertinent question of mine on March 15, 2012 in Parliament had somewhat further clouded the less optimistic scenario.

My question focused on the present arrears of the PKA (Port Klang Authorities) loan for the project and how would MOT endeavour to ensure PKA can afford to repay the outstanding loan based on the present schedule and interest rate, given that the present revenue generated by the PKFZ project could hardly defray the hefty debts.

As expected, my question that was numbered 71st ( the last question of the day in the order paper) was destined to be out of reach from the 90-minute time frame set for the parliamentary oral questions.

This had further led to the total denial of any opportunities for me to raise supplementary question on the subject matter.

Much to my dismay, the written answer I received did not address my question. The minister replied that so far PKA had used up a whopping RM2.6 billion from the government loans to service the debts.

This might raise many eyebrows but it was not in the question at all. On PKA’s ability to service the debts, the reply appeared even more inexplicable, if not incoherent, when it was said that one of PKA’s options is to apply to MOF for rescheduling the loan as well as revising its terms and conditions.

All in all, the minister was coy about answering the key questions I raised. I was merely told something that I myself had been pursuing while I was the minister, that is, seeking rescheduling of the loans.

This simply implies that there has been no progress at all in the probe after I exited from the Cabinet two years ago.

Those in the corridors of powers may have good reasons to frown upon me whenever I bring up the issue.

Nonetheless, to me and many others who have no personal vested interests in the project, the spectre of PKFZ could never be exorcised as long as the findings of the independent panels were perceived to have been buried in the confidential dossiers on the investigators and prosecutors’ desks.

The writer is the immediate past transport minister and MCA president. He is also the Pandan MP.

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