Deliccio Classic European Cuisine

Southern Thai food

When thinking about Southern Thai food one of the first idioms that come to mind is a screaming "spicy". The food is a delicate concoction of flavors including spicy, salty and sour. As opposed to Thai food in general, though, it's usually not too sweet.

The eating habits of countries and regions are usually closely connected to the area's climate

and the local availability of ingredients. In the case of Southern Thailand the saying goes that people fancy spicy food because it rains almost all year round. Since the area is surrounded by the sea, most dishes contain some form of seafood, such as shrimp, mussels, crab and fish, which are skillfully transformed into some of the most flavorful dishes. The wide availability of coconut in the area has naturally made Southern Thailand the origin of all sorts of curries, although not all of them contain coconut. What makes the flavor of Southern Thai food so distinctively different from other Thai food is the sophisticated use of spices. Probably the most important one is turmeric, which has a peppery, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance reminiscent of orange and ginger. It not only lends the food a refreshing flavor and color, but is also claimed to have multiple health benefits. Many Southern Thai people are said to use turmeric in every meal of the day. Another commonly used spice is pepper which helps to reduce the fishy smell of the seafood and also aids with digestion.
An absolutely indispensable part of Southern Thai food is the use of locally grown fresh vegetables that are served together with every meal to tone down the spiciness of the food.