12 Snacks you must relish on your trip to Thailand
By Sarah Bennet
Thailand, typically Bangkok, is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It is home to some of the best places to visit, to have fun and adventure, alone as well as with family and friends. However, your Thailand travel guide and itinerary is not complete until you taste the Thailand snacks and food.
Thailand is not famous only for its street shopping but also for its street food, which is one of the favorites of the tourists coming here. So, if you are planning to go to Thailand, do not miss out on these snacks. You can even pack some of these for your loved ones.
- Bento Squid: You may think this to be a harmless kind of snack that can be had along with coke or any soft drink while you are enjoying a movie. However, beware!! As this is a fiery concoction of dried squid and many spices. You will have to keep a jug full of water to douse all the fire, not anywhere else, but in your mouth. Packs of the snack are available in the nearest supermarket and other essential product stores.
- Tao Kae Noi Seaweed: This is not only one of the favorite snacks of the Thais but also others living in different parts of the world as it one of the most popular exports from Thailand. “Little Boss” is what Tao Kae Noi means and it is a fried seaweed snack. Now that the snack has become quite popular and people are demanding its variants, the company has started grilling and roasting the seaweeds while adding different flavors to them as well. You can find a large variety of the snack here in Thailand.
- Chicken/Pork Floss Rice Crackers: If you are looking for a crispy Thai snack, the rice crackers are just the thing to pick up. Liberally sprinkled with pork or chicken floss, the crackers are crispy and easy to digest. They are not hard and bony as the pork floss sticks but are crunchy and have a subtly sweet dry taste.
- Poh Pia Tod: Not that the packed snacks are over, but moving on to something nice and hot, here is the Poh Pia Tod or the Thai spring roll. These spring rolls are not only loved by the locals but are equally popular with the tourists. You can easily find them at the food stalls, restaurants and local eateries in Thailand.
- Gai Tod: Whether you eat it as a snack or as a complete meal, it is up to you. However, you cannot miss out on the delicacy. Gai Tod is what you call fried chicken. Here in Thailand it is served with sticky rice and is a great meal altogether.
- Kai Jeow: Another of those fancy names that attract you. Kai Jeow is simply an omelet but prepared with herbs and fish sauce making it a delicious snack. Yummy as it is, you can enjoy the omelet anywhere and anytime as you can find it at the street food stalls as well as the restaurants and local eateries.
- Crispy Pork Stick: Coming back to the packaged snacks, which are a delicacy in Thailand, here is the crispy pork stick. While seaweed crispies are an all-time favorite, you cannot put the packet of the pork sticks once you open it. The slightly sweetened pork in the form of crisp sticks makes it a great pair with beer. You can have the snack otherwise as well and you are bound to finish the
pack within 10 minutes, for sure. - Som Tum: You might have tried and tasted different salads from all across the countries, but have you ever tried one that has unripe papaya? Well, Thailand has one of these salads with unripe green papaya as the main ingredient. Som Tum is one of the favorite salads not only of the locals but all the salad lovers from all over the world that come to Bangkok. Shredded green papaya along with local ingredients makes Som Tum a must-have snack when in Thailand.
- Satay: These are grilled meat sticks served with hot sauces of different types. Satay is best served as a snack or starter and can be included in the main course as well. As a type of street food, it is also served with peanut sauce and sprinkled with hot spices.
- Khao Pad: Your local Thailand travel guide will tell you that your food itinerary is incomplete without tasting the Khao Pad. Equivalent to what you call fried rice, it is a typical street food of Thailand. “Khao” means rice and “phat” means something fried. When in Thailand, you must taste this dish to get a real taste of Thai food.
- Sai Ooah: Also written as Sai Ua, this is a sausage dish that has grilled sausage as the main ingredient. While most of the dishes and snacks in Thailand are pork based, Sai Ooah is different. Grilled and served with a variety of sauces, it makes a great snack for anytime eating.
- Kluay Tod: Last but not the least, is the Kluay Tod, the Thai version of what you know as banana fritters. Tastier, crispier and better tasting, Kluay Tod is a popular street food dish with the locals as well as the tourists.
The list of Thai snacks is not complete as there are so many others that can be enjoyed as well.
Sarah Bennet is a senior copywriter in HolidayFactors.com, a leading open travel market in Dubai.