When you think of Thailand, chances are one of the first things that pop into your mind is the food. Thai food can be spicy or sour, sweet or salty – and many times, it is all of those things at once! Thailand also is home to many fun and (to others) exotic foods. If you have adventurous kids or are an adventurous kid, these are my top five must-try’s when visiting Thailand.
1. Fried Bugs – (Malaeng Thawd) แมลงทอด
Malaeng thawd (แมลงทอด) is one of my personal favorite things to eat in Thailand. Found in most markets, malaeng thawd is a cheap and yummy snack easy to eat on the go. Malaeng thawd is displayed at markets in large trays. Usually, you can find larvae, an assortment of crickets, and, occasionally, other more challenging to eat bugs.
My favorite bugs are the bamboo worms. They are small, crunchy worms that taste like potato chips. They get their name from the small notches in them that make them resemble bamboo trees. Bamboo worms, sadly, are not always sold. You usually only find them in larger markets or stalls. If there aren’t any bamboo worms, I’ll get the smaller crickets. They taste similar to bamboo worms but sometimes are a bit thicker, making the morsels have a unique juicy crunch.
Bugs usually are served in plastic bags, but you can sometimes find them served in plastic boxes (especially bamboo worms). Stalls usually ask if you want seasoning such as white pepper and/or soy sauce. If you are feeling extra adventurous, I think the seasoning adds a great new flavor to the bugs.
Tip: If eating a bug with sharp legs, be careful! They get stuck in both your throat and your teeth very easily. Bug legs in your throat are not comfortable, trust me!
2. Laab – ลาบ
If fried bugs are one of my favorite snacks, laab (ลาบ) is way up there in my favorite meals in Thailand, specifically in Isaan. Called larb by most foreigners, it is a meal known to be from the Isaan region, though you can find it in other places. It is composed of minced meat and herbs. The seasoning is very similar to the kung ten seasoning, being spicy and sour with a variety of other herbs. Laab can be quite spicy, so if you can’t handle heat, ask for less spice. It can be made with multiple types of meat, including pork and chicken (laab muu and laab kai). Laab muu (pork) is by far the most common.
Laab is usually served with a side of cucumbers or long beans (sometimes both) because of the spice. You can find it at many restaurants and some markets.
3. Live Shrimp – (Kung Ten) กุ้งเต้น
Live shrimp, or kung ten (กุ้งเต้น) in Thai, is one of the most entertaining dishes to eat. In Thai, the name literally means ‘dancing shrimp,’ and the reason for this name is very obvious. The shrimp ‘dance’ as you are eating them! I have found it in stalls at a market and in the floating restaurants of Nong Khai. In market stalls, sellers will literally scoop a bunch of shrimp from a tank of swimming shrimp. It is fun to watch the shrimp swim before eating some of them!
After scooping the shrimp from the tank, they will mix it in a spicy and sour seasoning with a mix of Thai herbs. The combination of this seasoning and the fresh seafood taste of the shrimp is really good.
Be sure to close the container until you eat them and eat them quickly. You don’t want them to die before consuming them! When eating them, I will just pick one up by my hands and stick it in my teeth, chewing before it can do anything to my tongue.
Kung ten is definitely one of the most fun dishes to eat. It is definitely worth a try!
4. Tom Yam – ต้มยำ
Tom yam (ต้มยำ) is a spicy and sour soup. It has many different ingredients thrown into it, including the meat, galangal/ginger, chilis, bamboo shoots, lemongrass, eggplant (the little balls), and more. This is probably one of those dishes you don’t want to be adventurous about – a lot of the things inside it aren’t edible!
Tom yam is usually extremely spicy, especially so because it is a steaming hot soup. Unless you love a lot of Thai spice, I highly recommend asking for less spice.
5. Boat Noodles – (Kuay Teow Ruea) ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ
Kuay teow ruea (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ), or ‘boat noodles,’ as it is translated into English, is a dish with broth made of pork blood. It is served in small bowls, which each usually cost 10-20 baht. For a full meal, I’d eat multiple bowls, but the small serving size makes it really easy to just try a bit of this dish.
Each bowl has kuay teow noodles (rice noodles), fish balls, and a couple of vegetables. You can find boat noodles at restaurants (usually reserved specifically for boat noodles and a few other dishes) or at some markets.
For those who are not adventurous in eating, there is no need to panic. Thailand has many ‘normal’ foods that you can eat. Check out our article on how you can eat lunch from Thailand’s 7-Eleven’s.