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CULTURAL RESEARCH-PROFORMA

Country: Thailand

What are the foods that you recognise as being typical of this country: pad thai,

Where in the world do I find it (Map):

Possible effects on food choice and food supply:

Population: Thailand’s population is recorded at 68.86 million people, that’s approximately, 3 times the population of Australia living in 15 times less land mass.Although most Thais are Buddhists, there are no food taboos in Thailand. The Thais celebrate a number of seasonal festivals and Buddhist holidays with feasts and banquets. Some of the foods eaten at these meals have a symbolic meaning. Among these are "golden threads," a thin layer of egg or noodles wrapped around small pieces of food. It is thought that they bring good luck and wealth to the person who eats them.

Religion/Food Taboos: Buddhism is the main religion practiced in Thailand, though there is a strong undercurrent of Hinduism with it’s distinct priestly class

Climate/ Geography: Thailand (from personal experience) is humid and sunny in the day and great storms cover the more tropical regions at night, Thailand is filled with exotic forests and bustling towns and cities it is located north east of Australia, taking a 7.5 hour flight from Sydney to Phuket.

Socio economic status:The unemployment rate of Thailand is .4%. Compared to the United States of America, whose unemployment rate is currently 8.3% the number is relatively low. The highest rate was 5.17% in 2001.

But there is a big gap between the rich and poor.  Paul Quaglia, a security specialist, stated, "It's becoming more about why 2 percent of the population gains 80 percent of the GDP." The living  condiditions for the poor in Thailand is bad, a lot of the people are suffering. The lower 98% of the population of Thailand is only getting 120.2%. Only 2% of the people are so rich because that 2% owns the major companies in Thailand, so they get all the money.

Meal Patterns:Thai people tend to eat all day. Generally, they eat three main meals a day just like the rest of the world, but they have a habit of 'gin len' ('snacking') between meals. The whole spectrum of hawker food from savoury 'look chin ping' (grilled meat balls), sweet roti pancake wrapped around sweetened condensed milk with a choice of banana or egg and fried bugs, to freshly-squeezed orange juice, fresh fruits, and frittered bananas are available, at incredibly low prices, virtually everywhere in the city.

10 Typical Recipes from that Country (with a picture):

Nam Pla Prig (Dipping Sauce)

This sauce is used as a dip. It is provided on the table at every Thai meal, in the same way that salt and pepper are provided on most tables in North America.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 4 Tablespoons sugar

• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

• 4 Tablespoons fish sauce (available at supermarkets and Asian food stores)

• 2 Tablespoons water

Procedure

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Stir to dissolve sugar.

3. If sauce is too salty, add more water.

4. Serve at room temperature in individual bowls.

5. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, tightly covered

Thai Beef Curry

Ingredients

• 10 ounces beef flank steak with the fat trimmed off

• 2 cups coconut milk, unsweetened

• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

• 1 cup bamboo shoot strips

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 3 Tablespoons water

• 20 leaves of fresh basil

• ¼ medium red pepper, cut into thin strips

• 2 Tablespoons green peas, frozen

• 2½ cups rice, steamed

Procedure

1. Slice the steak into pieces ¼-inch thick, 2 inches long, and about 1-inch wide.

2. Heat 1 cup of the coconut milk in a wok or frying pan and add the red curry paste.

3. Stir to dissolve and cook at high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until the oil of the coconut milk rises to the top and the sauce thickens.

4. Add fish sauce and stir it in.

5. Add the second cup of coconut milk and the beef. Reduce heat to medium.

6. Add the bamboo shoot strips and the sugar. Return the heat to high and add 3 Tablespoons water.

7. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes until bubbling.

8. Add ¾ of the basil leaves, the red pepper strips and the green peas.

9. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds, folding all the ingredients into the sauce.

10. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.

11. Top with the rest of the basil leaves and the additional red pepper strips.

12. Serve immediately, accompanied by steamed rice.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 1 long cucumber

• ½ small red onion

• ⅓ medium red pepper

• 1 Tablespoon sugar

• Vinegar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• Fresh coriander leaves

Procedure

1. Wash and dry the cucumber, and peel it if desired.

2. Cut in half lengthwise and then into quarters.

3. Slice the quarters into ¼-inch pieces and arrange on a plate.

4. Slice the red pepper and onion into thin strips. Scatter them over the cucumber.

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, and salt.

6. Pour dressing over the vegetables and top with the coriander leaves.

Sang Ka Ya (Thai Coconut Custard)

Ingredients

• 4 eggs

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup white sugar

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 1 cup winter squash, thinly sliced with seeds and rind removed

Procedure

1. In a deep bowl, beat eggs well.

2. Add brown and white sugars and stir until dissolved.

3. Add coconut milk and squash and stir well.

4. Pour mixture into a 9- by 9-inch baking pan or a 9- or 10-inch pie pan.

5. Place ½ cup water into a steamer or Dutch oven large enough to hold the custard pan.

6. Bring water to a boil over high heat, and place pan with custard inside.

7. Cover and steam over high heat for 30 minutes.

8. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 12.

Banana with Coconut Milk

Ingredients

• 12 half-ripe bananas

• 4 cups fresh or canned coconut milk

• ¼ cup sugar

• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Procedure

1. Peel the bananas and cut in quarters. Place in a steamer over boiling water. Steam for 20 minutes; set aside.

2. In a large pot heat the coconut milk, sugar, and salt on high heat. As soon as it boils, add the bananas.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

4. Serve hot.

Serves 8 to 12.

List 10 staple foods or ingredients commonly used (Provide a picture for each):

.rice

.fresh fruits

.seafood

.

List 10 Common Herbs and Spices Used in this Culture (include a description and a picture of 5 of these):

Describe the major cooking techniques used by this culture:

In the Newcastle/ Maitland area are there any restaurants from your culture? Provide name and location of two. If none, are there any in NSW?

sticky rice thai:
sticky rice thai is a thai restaurant that is in Newcastle it isn't the only stick rice thai restaaurantin Australia but

Are Cultural ingredients easily accessible to purchase?