Mistakes Everyone Makes When Ordering Thai Food

Thai food is popular with food enthusiasts around the globe for its unique blend of flavors, textures, and aromas. Due to the country's geography, history, and cultural influences, Thai cuisine is also extremely varied. For example, the gastronomic scene in northern Thailand is heavily influenced by China and Myanmar, making it somewhat milder than the spicier southern dishes. Meanwhile, the cuisine in the southwestern part of the country has a lot in common with Malay and Javan epicurean creations, which both utilize a lot of coconut milk.

From spicy curries to refreshing salads, there's little doubt that Thai food makes for a delicious and satisfying culinary experience. And if you have a little knowledge of the cuisine and the country's dining etiquette, ordering dishes at a Thai restaurant can be an exciting adventure in itself. On the flip side, if you're unfamiliar with Thai cuisine and its protocol, the experience can lead to ordering dishes that are overly spicy, underseasoned, or generally not to your liking.

Whether you're enjoying Thai cuisine at a restaurant in the U.S. or in the Land of Smiles, the correct dining etiquette can go a long way to enhancing your experience. Keep reading to find out more about the most common mistakes made when ordering Thai food and how to avoid them.

In Western culture, we are accustomed to ordering individual dishes. This, however, isn't the norm in many other countries, including Thailand, where food is always shared among a group of people. In other words, no dish belongs to one specific person. This communal dining experience is ideal because it gives the entire group an opportunity to sample a wide range of dishes. Sharing food is also a great way of spurring conversations and making connections with others.

Traditionally, the entire order is placed by one person at a table, and this person is typically most senior person in the group or the host paying the bill. Of course, all table companions are free to suggest which dishes they would like to try. Generally, the larger the dining party, the more dishes that are ordered to be enjoyed by the group. Once ordered, each menu selection will arrive at the table with a serving spoon. It's important to use this utensil, rather than your own spoon and fork, to transfer a little bit of each dish to your plate or bowl.

While we all have our favorite Thai dishes — pad Thai (stir-fried noodles) and tom yum (zesty soup) come to mind here — it's important not to shy away from being adventurous when ordering food. After all, how are you going to discover new dishes if you never venture outside your comfort zone? And since Thai meals are usually shared, ordering a wide variety of dishes can take your dining experience to the next level. After all, who wants to eat four different noodle dishes when they can try some noodles, a stir-fry, a curry, and a soup.

Thai cuisine features four main flavors — spicy, sour, salty, and sweet — as well as a variety of textures. Ordering a number of different dishes can balance these flavors and textures to create a meal that's both harmonious and satisfying. As noted by Kitchen United, a Thai feast typically includes a wet dish, such as a curry or a soup, a dry dish like a stir-fry, a spicy dish, and a yum — a salad dish with a dressing made from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chilies.

Thai food is relatively healthy — especially if you compare it to Western-style fast food. For starters, most Thai dishes come with veggies, providing a nutritious component of the meal. Even beef, chicken, or seafood dishes are likely to incorporate vegetables such as carrots, peas, and bean sprouts. Many Thai dishes are also infused with spices and herbs such as turmeric, lemongrass, and garlic, which are believed to have numerous health benefits. In addition, most Thai restaurants prepare their food with fresh, rather than frozen, ingredients

Nevertheless, there's no escaping the fact that Thai food can be as healthy or unhealthy as your food choices. To maintain a healthy diet, try to minimize the number of fried and deep-fried dishes such as fried rice or spring rolls. While they might taste great, their high oil content can be a drain on your health and arteries over time. Some dishes such as curries can also be calorie heavy since they tend to contain between one and two cups of coconut milk. The good news is that even if you order a couple of less healthy options for the table, you can balance them out by ordering a few lighter dishes.

While in many Western-style restaurants asking the server for condiments might be taken as commentary on the quality of the dishes, this isn't the case in Thai culture. Thai people often modify dishes with condiments to harmonize the sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and spiciness of their food. In fact, some Thai restaurants even have a basket of condiments at each table to let patrons season their own food — however, this isn't the case for most fine dining establishments.

Some of the most commonly found condiments at Thai restaurants include dried chili flakes, sugar, fish sauce, and white vinegar (these are a little like the salt and pepper found in many Western-style restaurants). Some dishes also come with dipping sauces, such as nam jim gai or sweet chili sauce, and prik nam pla, a fish sauce with sliced chilies. At the end of the day, it's up to each individual to match the sauce with their food. This is commonly done by adding a few drops of the sauce to the dish or dipping the seafood or meat directly in the sauce.

Thai iced tea is a popular beverage to order with Thai food because it pairs well with the bold, spicy flavors of the cuisine. This being said, it's important to remember that not all Thai iced tea is the same. At its most basic, Thai iced tea is black tea flavored with spices such as cardamom, tamarind, and star anise. Thai iced tea may also contain sugar and condensed milk, making it a less healthy choice when it comes to quenching your thirst.

Priya Krishna from Food & Wine calls Thai iced tea a "culinary hybrid" that combines the simple concoction of tea and ice with the Western penchant for sweet flavors. Krishna explained that chefs started adding spices, sugar, and even food coloring to Thai iced tea to distinguish it from American iced lattes. Pim Techamuanvivit, the chef and proprietor of Kin Khao in San Francisco, says that nowadays the sweeter, richer version of the beverage is served in many restaurants in Thailand. "It's interesting to look at, as it was something that was perceived as very Thai in the U.S., but then the U.S. version got transferred back to Thailand, and Thai people have just adapted," she told Food & Wine. "Thai tea is the perfect example of the way that cultures end up bleeding into each other."

In Thailand, desserts are a key part of the country's culinary culture, and they are as diverse and delicious as the country itself. Significantly, in Thailand, different desserts are frequently eaten to give meaning to different occasions, as highlighted by Thai dessert expert ML Darunee Chakrabandhu in a Bangkok Post article. For example, khanom chan with layers signifies prosperity, while the same cake without layers is eaten at funerals.

One of the best introductory desserts to try at a Thai restaurant is mango and sticky rice. Just like its name suggests, the treat combines the sweet flavor of mango with the chewy and rich texture of sticky rice. The dish is usually served with coconut milk. Crepes are another popular Thai street-side dessert. The crepes are usually filled with a delicious creamy meringue made from egg whites and sugar. Thais are also partial to coconut ice cream, which is commonly served with toppings such as peanuts, sweet corn, and sweet syrups.