Taste ultimate delicacies in the Northeast of Thailand

Located in the Northeastern part of Thailand, Isaan (also spelled "Isan "or "Issan") has its own distinct appeal. Here you can find bi-cultural and bi-lingual people where most of the population speaks "Isaan" (a language close to Laotian) as the second language. Khmer culture can also be found in some parts of Isaan, especially near Surin, Buriram and Sisaket. However, we are not going to discuss about the languages and cultural diversity of Isaan; we will speak about one of its most distinctive feature, which is foods. Foods in this part of Thailand are different and delicious. The visitors and tourists simply love the mouth smacking varieties that they get here in Isaan.

The popularity of Isaan food is spread all across Thailand. The people of Isaan have rich food culture, and they are utilizing it brilliantly to enjoy a better life. One of the common and very popular dishes of this region is Som Tam, which is a kind of salad made with papaya. It is delicious and good for health. This papaya salad is prepared by mixing tomatoes, long beans, chilies, and garlic. After that, some parts of fresh unripe papayas are mixed to complete the dish. In different places of the country, you can find diverse adaptations of the recipe, but the authentic Som Tam tastes musky, salty and hot. It is also mixed with field crabs, which are mashed all over along with fermented paste made of up certain fish known as pla naa. The locals eat Som Tam regularly, but do not expect that you will get to taste what they eat. The versions available in the restaurants are quite different from what the locals eat among themselves.

Don’t get into any conclusion that the food specialty of Isaan is only restricted to the papaya salad. Here Gai Yang is also very popular. This dish is a form of marinated grilled chicken. The dish is very tasty and its secret lies in the mixture where the chicken is soaked to obtain that superb flavor. That mixture is prepared by using crushed coriander seeds, garlic palm sugar, and fish sauce. After soaking up the chicken in the mixture, then meat is roasted by using the flames of coals until it gets dry and becomes chewy. You can have this dish with a sticky rice menu called Khao Niaw as a main course or enjoy it as your snacks with Som Tam.

One thing that needs to be mentioned while discussing about the Isaan foods is the usage of insects. The insects are rich with protein and can be availed for cheap. When the area suffered poverty and droughts, people started consuming these insects for existence. Gradually, the usage of insects became a part of the food culture in the area, and now you can find several dishes where different insects are used. When you walk down the streets of Isaan, you will come across several street shops where different varieties of fried insect items are sold. If you think that you don’t want to try them, then it is better to stick to the restaurant menus like Som Tam, Gai Yang or Khao Niaw.