In my column two weeks ago, I talked about the challenge of selecting the right vegetable oil. I mentioned that we should try to avoid purchasing fried foods from vendors as they are known to put the oil on high heat and reuse it, creating harmful chemical reactions. This is common knowledge, but people still can't help but rely on ready-to-eat meals. Although research has yet to verify vegetable oil as a cause for disease, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious about consuming it.
Cooking your own meal is one of the best ways to avoid consuming too much oil. As an alternative, for example, people can opt to use fish oil, a healthy source of fat.
keeping it green: Northern-style gaeng kae (vegetable soup), left. Hed lom, a type of mushroom, above.
People nowadays tend to be more health conscious. Many rely on fresh vegetables, salads and fruit juices as their main meals. Animal fats, butter, cream and processed foods are increasingly left out of diets.
That's one way to stay healthy. Then again, the Thai way of life already encourages health and wellbeing. The wisdom and health benefits of Thai cuisine have long been recognised, even though this understanding may have got lost in modern-day life.
Let me clarify one thing: at the heart and soul of Thai cooking is a deep appreciation of simple, seasonal ingredients, ideally found either in your backyard or your local market. Thanks to its use of fresh herbs and special techniques, Thai food serves up not only divine flavours but ample health benefits.
Tom yum is one of the most popular dishes in Thai cuisine, featuring lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, sawtooth coriander, holy basil, chillies and lime.
Gaeng pa (hot and spicy clear soup) is usually cooked with fish. Holy basil, chillies and young peppercorns lend the soup its signature heat, while pleasantly complementing the flavour of the vegetables and the saltiness of the fish sauce. Grachai (fingerroot) is also often added to help mask the odour of the dish.
Both gaeng pa and tom yum are examples of healthy Thai food. The herbs used are good for your digestive tract and help lower bad fats. Plus there's no sugar involved.
Outside of central Thailand, there are lots of healthy regional dishes. The northern take on a vegetable curry gaeng kae is an aromatic dish featuring seasonal ingredients. Depending on the time of year, the flavour of the vegetables can vary. For example, hed lom (a type of mushroom) is juicier in the rainy season, but makes for a better curry ingredient in the winter time.
Northeastern dishes also feature lots of healthy ingredients like seasonal, home-grown vegetables that come pesticide-free, as well as freshwater fish, shellfish and insects. Cooks here tend to grill and boil their food, making it much less greasy.
In the South, local delicacies draw inspiration from the ethnic diversity of the region. Their foods are the most spicy in Thailand, thus demanding a plate of fresh or cooked vegetables for every dish simply to tone down the heat.
One thing you'll find in kitchens across all regions is nam prik (chilli dip). Nam prik is always served with vegetables. When eaten, it's common to see dinners take a stroll mid-meal to grab some plants from their edible gardens. Some of the most popular grans are mango, acacia and neem. Mackerel and snakehead fish also make for common accompaniments to nam prik, providing a source of calcium.
Cooking Thai food at home shouldn't be a hassle. Dishes like som tam, larb pla duk (spicy catfish salad) and gaeng om pak (northeastern assorted vegetable soup) can be whipped up easily.
Gaeng som (sour curry with assorted vegetables and seafood) is another easy-to-make curry from the South. The soup can be seasoned to your taste and should feature sour, salty and sweet flavours. It is a brightly coloured dish thanks to the fresh turmeric. The turmeric also helps mask some of the fish odour.
Next time you hear someone argue that Thai food isn't healthy, point to these dishes I've just listed. And if you can make it yourself, well, that's even better.
mixing it up: Yard-long beans salad, spicy catfish salad and Asian redtail catfish spicy salad.
mixing it up: Yard-long beans salad, spicy catfish salad and Asian redtail catfish spicy salad.
spice of life: Tom yum with grilled catfish.
awesome sauce: Central region-style nam prik gapi (shrimp paste chilli dip).
plant-based: Sour curry with luuk khao san, an ivy species, right. photos: Suthon Sukphisit
