Pad Thai

Pad Thai or phat Thai is
a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street
food and at casual local eateries in Thailand. It is made with soaked
dried rice noodles, which are stir-fried with eggs and chopped
firm tofu, and flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce dried
shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chili pepper and palm
sugar, and served with lime wedges and often chopped
roast peanuts. It may also contain other vegetables
like bean sprouts, garlic chives, coriander leaves,
pickled radishes or turnips, and raw banana flowers. It may
also contain fresh shrimp, crab, chicken or another protein.
Vegetarian versions may substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce and
omit the shrimp. 
The History of pad Thai is
thought by some to have been introduced to Ayutthaya during the time
of the Ayutthaya Kingdom by Viet traders and subsequently
altered to reflect Thai flavor profiles. The etymology of the dish's name may
suggest Chinese origins. Promoted pad Thai in his campaign to establish Thai
nationalism. Thailand was a main exporter of rice, and the government hoped to
increase the amount available for export. As Prime Minister of Thailand between
1938 to 1944, and from 1948 to 1957, Phibun hoped to westernize the country. In
1939, he supported the change of name of the country from Siam to Thailand. At
the time, wheat noodles were very popular in Thailand, but Plaek
Phibunsongkhram sought to eliminate Chinese influence. His government
promoted rice noodles and helped to establish the identity of
Thailand. As a result, a new noodle named Sen Chan was
created. The noodle is suitable to be stir-fried in a pan, and this Thai noodle
was called pad Thai The meats and vegetables in pad Thai are
similar to food prepared by the Cantonese and Tae Chiew (Chao Zhou in Mandarin)
from Guangdong province of China. However, the flavors and textures are pure
Thai. Pad Thai was made popular in Thailand during World War II. Pad Thai has
since become one of Thailand's dishes. Today, some food vendors add
pork-chops to enhance the taste (although the original recipe did not contain
pork because the government perception that pork was a Chinese meat). Some food
vendors still use the original recipe. It is a fast, delicious and nutritious
dish, and has become popular in many countries around the world. 
Category:Thai Recipes
Category:Thai Food Glossary