Thai food is famous around the world. Whether spicy-hot, mild, sweet, salty or sour, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences combined to make something uniquely Thai. With its numerous outside culinary influences, authentic Thai food combines flavors and ingredients in a way that gives it a distinct, unforgettable personality all its own.

Through the ages, Thais have carefully added foreign elements that blend well with local ingredients. Soups and noodle dishes from China, curries from India and satays from Indonesia have all influenced this hybrid, but coherent, cuisine. Although some Thai food is spicy hot, there are plenty of tasty dishes suited to Western tastes. And Thai food is one of the world’s most exciting culinary experiences, catering to the eye as well as the palate.

Like other Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, Thai cuisine is rice-and noodle-based, but there are still many choices. Thai curries are known to burn intensely but briefly, in contrast to curries from other countries such as India, which burn for longer periods. And many of the herbs used in Thai food are thought to have medicinal benefits, such as aiding digestion.

Most Thai dishes incorporate four main elements: sweet, sour, salty and hot flavors. It is this harmonious blend of flavors and fragrances that makes Thai food so irresistible.