Food is one of the things we look forward to when we travel. And one of the countries with the best dishes is Thailand’s dishes, particularly known for being spicy. If you are someone who doesn’t take spicy dishes too “hotly” (yes, pun intended), then your palate, tongue and tear ducts should be ready for this gastronomic ride of your lives. But I must say, if you should agree, that these what makes dishes interesting.
One of the dishes that caught my attention in Thailand is their varied curry dishes. While curry might be more popularly associated with India, Thai’s curry concoctions also parallel that of the subcontinent’s dishes. And you might be intrigued to know that Thai curry comes in three colors but its distinct spiciness is not dictated by those particular hues.
Regardless whether the dish says “green curry,” “red curry” or yellow curry,” the degree of spices included in the specific dish varies according to the taste and preference of the dish maker. So yes, the colors don’t mimic the universal stoplight of green for go (as in go light and mild on the chili), yellow for in-between spiciness (sometimes this is even the hottest of the lot) or red for the super-red hot chili choice (surprisingly, some chefs tone down the spices with the red curry dishes).
Loosely translated, you will get a variety of simple-named dishes that directly describe the color of the curry plus the main ingredient of the dish. Thus, you get names of dishes such as Green Chicken Curry, Green Curry Shrimp, Thai Red Prawn Curry, Thai Red Chicken Curry, Vegetarian Thai Yellow Curry, Thai Yellow Chicken Curry or Thai Yellow Pumpkin and Seafood Curry. These dishes could be concocted by popular culinary personalities such as Jamie Oliver and Nigella or they could be your traditional Thai cuisine favorites prepared in fancy restaurants or humble homes in different parts of Thailand. Anywhere in Thailand, this should be easy to find. And these sure should be part of your must try dishes.
In the end, if the degree of spices continues to be an issue for you, fellow traveler, it’s best to ask the chef or cook. Try to request them to tone it down if you are not so hot on being burned. They’re cool with it, trust me.