Categories: Food and drink
Pad Thai
Pad Thai
The classic default noodle dish is Pad Thai which consists of stir fried thin, flat noodles with vegetables, bean sprouts, optional meat or tofu, crushed peanuts, and egg. If you are lucky you get a wedge of lime to squeeze and sometimes sliced cucumbers are included on the side to take the burn out of your mouth. Carbs, protein, vegetables, and vitamin C all in one yummy package! You can find Pad Thai in every restaurant and on carts in every street.
The problem is don’t expect it to be consistent between places like Americanized Chinese food dishes. The Pad Thai may look and taste completely different at two neighboring restaurants and sometimes the ingredients will even vary within the same restaurant based upon what ingredients were cheap or available at the market that day!
Pad Thai is pretty much the default noodle dish of choice for people that don’t know anything about Thai food yet – and for good reason, its delicious and cheap!
Noodle burn-out
If you are noodled-out, there are loads of stir fried vegetable dishes served with a ball of sticky rice as well as many world famous curries and soups. A typical meal in a restaurant that caters to travelers (not in a resort!) will cost you around US $1.00 – $1.50. Street food and food in restaurants off the tourist paths can be had for even cheaper! Sweet basil is used in many of the dishes along with peanuts, carrots, eggs, and the famous chili spice (prik pohn) which you can find in small ceramic pots on tables in case you want to add extra spice.
Seasonings
Paet is the word for spicy in Thai. If you love spicy food and have a cast iron gullet, ask for your food “Thai paet” which means as spicy as a Thai person can handle. Otherwise, you will probably end up getting “farang paet” which basically translates to white person spicy. If you order your food Thai spicy, be prepared to get giggles from the waitress and in some instances, for the old woman cooking the food to stick her head out of the kitchen to watch your response as you eat it!
If you want to play it safe, you will almost always find jars or a small cart of seasonings on the table including chili spice, soy sauce, sugar, and the very fragrant fish oil.
Don’t even bother
Sad but true – bread, cheese, and milk are hard to find in Thailand, taste completely different, and do not compare to Western standards…..its not worth the effort for something that will make you want to purge!
Categories: Food and drink
Categories: Food and drink
Stomach problems
You do not want to get stuck in here!
Stomach Problems and Traveler’s Diarrhea
Any time you change continents or bacteria zones (even when coming home after a long trip), you can almost count on having a bad stomach (also known as TD or traveler’s diarrhea) for a week or two as your body adjusts to the new bacterias. Its all part of the fun of extended travel. Here are some survival tips:
You can buy drinkable yogurt with active cultures in shops and 7-11s to help your stomach.
A great natural way to fix a bad stomach is to eat bananas. They are cheap and plentiful, or you could make a habit of getting a banana shake (you can request no sugar) at the end of every meal.
Only take anti-diarrhea medicine (Loperamide) if an explosion is emanate or you have a long bus journey planned. Your body is trying to flush out bad things in your gut and stopping it up isn’t always the smartest option.
Green Coconut milk (available everywhere) will make you go more in case you had to resort to Loperamide.
Diarrhea will dehydrate you. If it is persistent, avoid spicy and oily food for a day or two – stick with white rice and eat bananas. Lay off other acidic fruits for a day or two also. Drink plenty of water to re-hydrate and stay out of the sun until you catch up.
ALWAYS carry toilet paper – the number one rule for budget travels in Asia! You will not find toilet paper in most public toilets, but you will find it on the tables in restaurants to be used as napkins. Get into the habit of grabbing a handful every time that you eat or get used to using your left hand and then washing it without soap which is the norm.
Never, ever put your toilet paper (or anything else) into the toilets. The sewer system is ancient and the whole order of the universe will be disrupted if you do. Put it into the small metal or plastic bin with a lid instead.
Always try to eat in restaurants and at food carts that have a high volume of customers. This insures that stuff is fresh and the locals generally know who has the best (and safest) food. Whatever you do, don’t avoid the delicious street food out of fear – just eat at the busy places.
Read more about Traveler’s Diarrhea for backpackers.
Categories: Food and drink, health
Water in Thailand
Water in Thailand
Yes, its safe to use for showering and doing laundry. No – you cannot drink it. Many bungalows use cisterns and collect clean rain water, but I have actually witnessed local kids that climbed on the roof and bathed in the those same cisterns!
It goes without saying – don’t drink the water! Bottled water is extremely cheap. Try to buy the largest size available (you can even get 5 litre bottles) and refill smaller bottles to help not contribute to the plastic bottle mountains and growing refuse problem. You can also find water refill machines in some places.
It is still necessary to change out your water bottle every few days because bacteria collects on the threads. Always avoid touching the cap and threads and smell it first before you take a drink.
Some people do use local water, but it is safest to brush your teeth with bottled water. Save the last bit in a bottle and keep it in the toilet for brushing and rinsing. Make sure not to leave sweet toothpaste around the top as it may be covered with ants when you come home!
The cheapest bottles of water do not contain minerals and after sweating all day you will still feel like your batteries are drained no matter how much you drink. For only a little more, you can buy Minerale or some other mineral water to help replenish your lost Sodium and Potassium. An alternative is to add sports drink mixtures (without sugar) to the water, but it may be difficult to find if you don’t pack your own.
Ice is generally made from filtered water, but sometimes handled with dirty hands or a dirty scoop. If you feel worried, you can ask for drinks without.
Categories: Food and drink, health
