Product Description

From pulse-pounding Bangkok to tranquil villages moored along the Mekong River, Thai cuisine is as rich and diverse as the culture it sustains. This unique culinary guide takes you to the heart of the kingdom's food culture. Here you will discover what Thais mean by im jai (full heart), and expression that fuses culinary satisfaction with contentment in life.

• the essential guide to the culture of food & drink in Thailand
• an exploration of the regional influences that make up Thai cuisine
• descriptions of utensils required for authentic Thai cooking
• the definitive culinary dictionary, a quick-reference glossary and useful phrases for every food & drink occasion
• tantalising photography & recipes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #806944 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Amazon.com Review
If you've already been to Thailand, you may doubt that any book, even a Lonely Planet guide, could do justice to the bounty of wonderful food to be found there. With recipes for favorite dishes, mouthwatering photos, and excellent commentary, World Food Thailand will make a believer out of you. You'll learn basic phrases (for instance, if you want something hot and spicy, simply say: "châwp phèt"), the names of every delicious edible item seen at the market, and how to read menus. It's a great tool for preparing for a trip--with hints on what dishes not to miss in each region, from Muslim Curry in the south to Tôm Khaà Kài in Bangkok to Burmese-style curry in the north, as well as cultural pointers to help you avoid social gaffes. World Food Thailand also reflects the cultural and ethnic infusions that have added to Thai cuisine over that centuries, ranging from Chinese, Laotian, Malaysian, and even New World ingredients. Can you imagine Thai food without chilies and peanuts? Even if the only journey this book inspires is one to the grocery store, you'll be entering an exciting new era in your kitchen. --Jhana Bach

Customer Reviews

A Bestseller on Thai Food
I thought I was an expert on Thai food as I have been living in Thailand for 6 years. However, Joe's easy to read book taught me many a new thing. This is not your average cook book. It is really a cross between a travel guide and a recipe book with a sprinkling of cultural information. I would say that it is the definitive book on eating Thai food - whether that be in Thailand or abroad. Highly recommended for anyone who has visited Thailand and has fallen in love with the food or the armchair traveler who is eating Thai food at home.

Much better than your average travel guide
This book not only gives you information about Thai food, but it also gives you a sense of what life and eating in Thailand is really like. It includes very little information about restaurants; the story here is FOOD. Part of Lonely Planet's new series on World Food

Essential reading for Thai food lovers
The Lonely Planet Guides are justly regarded as bibles by backpackers the world over. They are exhaustively researched and very reliable. I backpacked through Thailand last year and relied heavily on Joe Cummings brilliant LP guide for advice, inspiration and tips on what to eat. When I heard that Joe Cummings had written the LP World Food Guide to Thailand I knew it would be as meticulously researched and filled with the same infectious enthusiasm as his guide to the country itself. I was not disappointed. Though this is not the only Thai cookbook you will ever need - there are only twenty or so recipes - the book rightly sets Thai cuisine in its rich context, building the case that Thai food - real Thai food - is one of the world's most exciting cuisines. The story of Thai food - it's distinctive ingredients, the way it is eaten by Thais, the many regional variations, how to shop for Thai ingredients, street food, etc - is studded with relevant recipes made all the more appealing by what you have just learned. Buy it - you won't be disappointed.