(The Answer: It’s Delicious!)
Voted number 5 on the world’s best foods list, Pad Thai is an Asian masterpiece.
For the 39 million travelers visiting the country every year, it’s a top priority on their ‘things to try’ list. For the rest of us who aren’t jetting off to paradise, we have to look closer to home to have a taste of this delicacy.
But, what is Pad Thai, and why all the hype?
To give you a virtual taste and show you why you need to try it, here’s what goes into the dish.
What Is Pad Thai?
Let’s start with exactly what it is. Pad Thai is a noodle-based dish that comes from Thailand, in South East Asia.
It’s actually the country’s national dish, so it’s a pretty big deal! It doesn’t get more Thai than Pad Thai.
If you do visit the country, you’ll find it sold pretty much everywhere. But the best Pad Thai is usually found dirt-cheap on the street stalls, where they’ve been perfecting the dish for years.
Luckily, you don’t have to go to Thailand. At Thai Ginger, we serve a delicious Pad Thai, giving you a taste of South East Asia from your home.
Pad Thai Ingredients
To create a Pad Thai, authentic ingredients have to be used.
At Thai Ginger, we start with thin rice noodles, just like the traditional Thai dish. We then add onion, egg, bean sprouts, and roasted ground peanuts. The dish is mixed with a tamarind sauce and served with lime.
The flavors of this dish are centered around a sweet-savory fusion. Salty, nutty, and with that slightly sweet sauce, it’s a treat for tastebuds!
Of course, every Pad Thai can be different. Some use fish, some use chicken, and some use tofu. Even the dishes in Thailand can vary from one stall to the other, but the basics are always the same — and no Pad Thai is complete without peanuts.
Pad Thai Sauce Recipe
The sauce is what gives Pad Thai its iconic flavor. Again, it varies a little depending on the recipe used. But the basic sauce involves:
- Tamarind
- Fish sauce
- Brown sugar
- Garlic
- Shallot
Chili can also be added or left out, depending on how much you love the heat.
A Healthy Dish
As long as it’s not cooked in tons of oil, Pad Thai is a healthy recipe. This is the same for a lot of South East Asian dishes. We like to keep ours simple and with natural ingredients.
In Pad Thai, calories vary a lot depending on what it contains. But the ingredients are full of vitamins, the chicken and egg have a lot of protein, and those rice noodles will fill you up.
It’s an all-around dish that tastes extraordinary.
Give It a Go!
If you want to try it, head to our Pad Thai restaurant.
We create authentic Thai dishes with South East Asian ingredients.Don’t miss out on your Thai favorites — check out the full menu, order from us, and eat your food from the comfort of your home.
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FAQs
Pad Thais can be both sour and sweet, depending on the region they're made in and who is making the dish! Generally, in Thailand, pad thai will include ingredients like dried shrimp and fish sauce which lends tangy umami to the overall dish.
What does Thai taste like? ›
Thai dishes are known for their complex taste profiles that combine sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements in perfect proportions. Each dish is a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate, creating an explosion of taste sensations.
What is Pad Thai similar to? ›
Like Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles ingredients usually involve tofu, chicken, or another protein. The spicier flavor of Thai Drunken Noodles, however, can also be paired with beef or another darker meat while Pad Thai is more likely to contain chicken or prawns.
Does Pad Thai taste like drunken noodles? ›
Drunken noodles use fresh wide rice noodles, which are soft and sticky, while pad Thai uses dried thin rice noodles, which are more al dente and chewy. The flavor profile of drunken noodles is salty, spicy, and anise-like from the basil. Pad Thai is sweet and sour from the tamarind.
What is Pad Thai mainly? ›
Pad Thai is a traditional Thai dish made with stir-fried rice noodles, eggs, tofu, beansprouts, and a multitude of spices. The dish is one of the most famous street food in the world, but the dish is not meant to be eaten on the go. The word “pad” means “fried” while “thai” means “Thai”.
What is the best Thai food for beginners? ›
What to eat? Here are some popular suggestions: Kway Tio (noodle soup), Pad Thai Goong (Thai fried rice noodles with prawns), Pad Kapow Neua (stir-fried basil with beef), Pad See Iew (noodles in soy sauce) and Kao Pad (fried rice with a choice of meat or seafood).
What is the main flavor in Thai food? ›
There are 5 main flavours in Thai cuisine: salty, sour, sweet, spicy and creamy. Typically, an authentic Thai dish has one slightly prominent taste with layers of the other three or four flavours to enrich and balance the overall taste.
What does Thai style sauce taste like? ›
Prik nam pla is a sauce that Thai people use as the all-purpose flavour enhancer. It is a tableside condiment you put on the finished dish, much like salt and pepper in the West, but it's not something you cook with. Prik nam pla is salty, spicy, umami and acidic.
Is Pad Thai healthy? ›
It can definitely be a part of a balanced, well-rounded diet. While pad thai includes many nutritious ingredients, its sodium content is considerably high. You can reduce its sodium by requesting the eatery go easy on the sauce and salt-contributing condiments.
Why is Pad Thai so good? ›
There is a scientific reason why Pad Thai is so delicious. It follows a Thai culinary tradition of using all five tastes which are salty, sour, sweet, spicy and bitter. That is why the dish is so tantalizingly tasty!… It hits all five flavor profiles in the mouth!
Pad Thai vs drunken noodles calories
Pad thai typically contains between 400-600 calories per serving, depending on the ingredients and portion size. Drunken noodles generally range from 300-500 calories per serving.
What gives Pad Thai its taste? ›
Pad Thai Sauce is made with fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and tamarind. Tamarind is the ingredient that is the heart and soul of Pad Thai sauce, giving the sauce the sour flavour that Pad Thai is known for. It's an ingredient used in South East Asian cooking, like this Malaysian Beef Rendang.
What does Pad Thai mean in English? ›
Thai (ไทย) – that's obvious. Pad (ผัด) – means fried. There are however, countless Thai dishes with the word Pad in it. The main ingredient in Pad Thai is rice noodles which are stir-fried. So, if you were to roughly translate Pad Thai, you'd have to say the dish is stir-fried noodles Thai style.
Is Pad Thai really spicy? ›
One of Thailand's most popular meals, pad thai, doesn't include any spices, which makes it a great choice for anyone that wants to enjoy a delicious, non-spicy meal. Most Thai restaurants also realize that some customers don't enjoy spicy food, so they offer differing levels of heat for all of their meals.
Is Pad Thai spicy or sweet? ›
Here's the lowdown on everyone's favourite noodle dish, Pad Thai, which hits the perfect combination of flavour notes. Sweet and spicy with a hint of tangy tamarind, this noodle stir-fry may be Thailand's national dish but it's enjoyed enthusiastically all around the world.
Why is Pad Thai fishy? ›
—Thai fish sauce: Also called nam pla, Thai fish sauce is what provides the salty, rich umami flavor to pad Thai.
Is Pad Thai chewy? ›
Made with chewy al dente rice noodles, stir-fried veggies, usually at least one type of protein, and an irresistibly fresh, sweet, and tangy tamarind sauce, this national dish of Thailand is everything I adore in a good bowl of noodles.
Does Pad Thai taste like lo mein? ›
Lo Mein is less about the sharp contrasts of Pad Thai and more about the deep, rich umami flavors that make it immensely satisfying. The vegetables and proteins add a delightful texture, ensuring a well-rounded mouthfeel.
