Thailand's southern region is stunning, with stunning beaches, bays, and temples. It is the location of Phuket, Pang Nga Bay, and Ko Phi Phi.
The most popular dishes that come to mind when we discuss Thai cuisine are the green and red curries. However, Thai cuisine is far more diverse and has many varying levels, depending on which region it is from. Thailand's southern region is known for its coconut groves, so you can discover thick coconut curries here. Another element is the cashews from nearby plantations frequently used in southern dishes. Due to its popularity as a major tourist destination, southern Thai cuisine is the most well-known outside of Thailand. Laced with spice, southern Thai cuisine is renowned for robust flavours. Here are five dishes you must try when you are in southern Thailand.
Geang, a spiced soup or curry, is probably the most famous dish in the southern region. You may also see it written as Kaeng. The dish varies from very watery to rich, to creamy to dry. We recommend you try Keang Liang, Keang Tai Pla (fermented fish curry is probably the region’s speciality dish), and Keang Karee.
Another well-known dish is khao yam, which is rice mixed with whatever fresh ingredients the cook has on hand, including bamboo shoots, kaffir lime leaves, crushed nuts, some coconut, dried shrimp and sliced green beans.
Another prevalent flavour in the south is bitters. Sataw, a green pod that when peeled reveals green berries, is a prominent element used in such dishes. To mask their particular flavour, it is frequently fried with fresh shrimp, plenty of shrimp paste, and red and green peppers.
Massaman curry, a fusion dish with Malaysian and Indian influences, was first developed in southern Thailand. Thai curries are known for using bird's eye chili and turmeric. This dish resembles Indian curries more because of the use of coriander, cumin, and cardamom. This dish features chicken, though beef and lamb are standard too. You can also find other proteins, such as tofu.
This stewed pork dish from southern Thailand is made by braising pork belly slices in a sticky mixture of dark soy sauce and sugar to which garlic, pepper, and coriander roots are added. Moo Hong is typically served with rice or boiled rice as the main course.