Page 149 - เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃเน„เธ—เธข

Thai Set Menu

compiled by Prof. Sukanya Sutchaya

Food in a main meal of the Thais consists of a set menu comprising of rice and courses
eaten with rice. The courses eaten with rice have various colours and tastes but they form a
harmonious meal thanks to side dishes (in Thai called โ€œKruang Kiengโ€ and โ€œKruang Namโ€) that
make the overall taste become a fine combination. The set menu is called โ€œSumrubโ€ in the central
region, โ€œMabโ€ in the southern region, โ€œKhantokeโ€ in the northern region and โ€œPa Khaoโ€ in the
northeastern region of Thailand. People can take pleasure in Thai cuisine by looking and tasting
for the dishes in a set menu of every region have varied flavours and colours.
A set menu consists of a kind of โ€œKruang Jimโ€ -- a dip- - that may be a chilli paste (โ€œNaam Prikโ€)
or a soya dip (โ€œLonโ€) mainly served with fresh or soft boiled seasonal vegetables, a kind of
โ€œKruang Namโ€ -- a side dish -- and a kind of โ€œGaengโ€ -- a curry --, for example, a dip is โ€œNam
Prik Kapiโ€ -- shrimp chilli paste, a side dish is โ€œPla Too Todโ€ -- fried mackerel or โ€œPla Salid Todโ€
--fried gouramis, served with fresh vegetables or โ€œCha-Om Choop Kai Todโ€ -- acacia pennata
omelet -- and a curry is โ€œGaeng Kiew Wan Nuaโ€ -- green beef curry; the dark colour of the shrimp
chilli paste contrasts with yellowish green of the acacia pennata omelet and green of fresh
vegetable, including different shades of green from herbs in the curry. In terms of flavours, salty,
sour, sweet and spicy flavours of the shrimp chilli paste and spices are lessened while the paste
is eaten with fresh vegetables and the side dishes. Desserts which are mostly fresh fruit could
reduce salty and spicy flavours of the afore-mentioned dishes resulting in the balance of flavours
which the Thais call โ€œGin Lang Pakโ€.
In addition to the daily-life food, locals living in the central region of Thailand usually
prepare set menu for monks in a merit making ceremony called โ€œSumrub Praโ€. This kind of set
menu for the monks comprises of many kinds of meat dishes and desserts. Many of them are
cooked with difficult cooking methods and use rare ingredients. For instance, there would be both
spicy curry and plain soup --โ€œGaeng Juedโ€, 5-6 different kinds of desserts including fruits. Moreover,

146 เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃเน„เธ—เธข เธกเธฃเธ”เธเธ เธนเธกเธ›เธด เธฑเธเธเธฒเธ—เธฒเธ‡เธงเธ’เธฑ เธ™เธ˜เธฃเธฃเธก

Thai Food : Thai Cultural Heritage ๆณฐๅผๆ–™็†-ไผ ็ปŸ้ฅฎ้ฃŸๆ–‡ๅŒ–้—ไบง