Pad Thai, the most famous dish in Thailand

Pad thai is a dish synonymous with Thailand and unlike Singapore noodles, is actually Thai from the place it’s named for Thai people take great pride in the dish and use it as a yardstick for their own cuisine.

“Whenever we try Thai food,” chef and Thailand native Nick Srisawat tells Gastronomica,“ we try pad thai first because that is a way to judge how good a restaurant is.” It’s become a staple in Bangkok and is loved across the world, but the story of its inception is one you might not know.

Back in 1938, a man named Phibunsongkhram, better known as Phibun in the West, had just played a prominent role as a military officer in a coup that dethroned Thailand’s monarchy and, after rising through the ranks of government, became Prime Minister (dictator).

Despite being the center of power in Thailand, Phibun was worried. Siam - as Thailand was then known - had never been colonized but was surrounded by the French and British. Siam was also an ethnically diverse country with strong regional identities, and with the removal of the monarchy, there was little to hold these disparate groups together.

So, in an effort to forge a true national identity and - more importantly - cement his power, Phibun decided to transform the country’s culture and identity. From 1939 to 1942, Phibun passed 12 Cultural Mandates that would - hopefully - encourage the Siamese people to be productive, well-mannered, and proud of their country.

Phibun’s mandates were incredibly nationalistic, and like a lot of modern-day legislation, were aimed to curb foreign influence within Siam. Some of his mandates - like his desire for everyone to wear hats in public - have faded into the fog of history. But his decision to change the name of the country to Thailand has stuck, and his ability to forge a true national identity has lived on. But what has this got to do with pad thai I hear you ask? Patience, we’re getting to that.

Before Phibun, pad thai didn’t’ exist. In fact, most Thai people ate rice with chilli paste, leaves, and salt and bought lunch and snacks from Chinese food vendors. But during world war II, Thailand suffered a shortage of rice, and Phibun used this shortage as a nationalistic propaganda opportunity. Thus pad thai was born, ironically from a dish with Chinese origins. The original name for Pad Thai, was ‘Gway Teow Pad Thai.’ Gway Teow’ is a Chinese word for rice noodles, while ‘Pad’ means fried and ‘Thai’ means in Thai style. Some people believe that a similar creation to Pad Thai was brought to Siam by Chinese traders in the 1700s.

Phibun’s son told Gastronomica that his family cooked pad thai before his father made it the national dish of Thailand, but is unsure who invented it. Others say there was a national competition held and pad thai won. What everyone does agree on is that the dish was used to protect Thailand’s rice resources. Noodles are cheap and economical to produce and could be dried and kept for long periods of time. The amount of rice used to make noodles was 50% of what would be consumed if it was eaten unprocessed, so noodles essentially doubled Thailand’s rice stores.

Married with Phibuns mandates, pad thai was promoted heavily up and down the country under the campaign slogan “noodle is your lunch”. The propaganda led menu change told the Thai people they were “helping the war effort” and “supporting your country” all while reducing the influence of non-Thai within the country. The Public Welfare Department gave out recipes to restaurants and even gave free food carts to people to sell pad thai in the streets, all while quietly banning foreign nationals from selling their wares.

But it worked. The Thai people adopted pad thai and started eating it regularly. Phibun’s push to unite the Thai people under his nationalist agenda worked and the Thai nation started to become the country Australians regularly visit today.
So next time you order pad thai from your local Thai, remember it was the delicious brainchild of a dictator.

Oh and Phibun? The vocal fan of Mussolini and the man who forged an alliance with Japan during World War II? After numerous coups where he lost and then regained power, he was forced into exile in Japan in 1957 and lived there till his death in 1964.

Read more: 4 popular Thai noodle dishes you should try

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The most famous national dishes in Asia

Just like their flags, each country has its own national dish – a dish that represents the country as a whole. Some countries have numerous national dishes that come in numerous servings and styles, while others present a simple dish that truly represents their country. As we embark on a quick sojourn with an empty stomach, here are some of the national dishes around Asia.

Sushi - Japan

Without doubt, Sushi is definitely one of the most famous foods to come from Japan. A dish that was born in ancient times, sushi originated from the process of preserving fish in fermented rice. Today it’s made with vinegared rice and fresh fish, presented in a number of ways and shapes.

Banh Mi - Vietnam

Banh mi is a unique French-Vietnamese sandwich that’s great for when you’re in need of a quick meal. Banh mi consists of a toasted baguette sandwich, pickled vegetables, pate, butter, soy sauce, cilantro, chillies, and hot peppers. Most banh mi sellers also offer a wide range of meat fillings, including heo quay (roasted pork belly), trung op la (fried egg), thit nuong (grilled pork loin), cha ca (fried fish with turmeric and dill), cha lua (boiled sausages), xa xiu (Chinese barbecued pork), and thit ga (poached chicken).

Kimchi - South Korea

Kimchi is a spicy Korean side dish created from salted, fermented vegetables, usually cabbage and radishes. It gets its unique kick from a paste made of chili powder, garlic, ginger, red pepper and sugar and its recognizable tang from fish sauce. While you’re probably familiar with the most common version, baechu kimchi, made with napa cabbage, there are actually over 100 different varieties of this classic dish, ranging from kkakdugi (cubed radish), to oi sobagi (cucumber) and gat (mustard leaf).

Pad Thai - Thailand

A staple dish in the Thai cuisine, the Thai-style fried noodles is one of the classic delicacies which is served worldwide. An easy and quick preparation, this generic dish is made with wide noodles, eggs, onion, meat, (usually prawn, which is quite famous in Pattaya) as its base. To add an extra crunch to this delicious meal, crunchy bean sprouts are added.

Dumpling - China

Wontons and dumplings are two similar types of food, which are comprised of a square or round wrapper (a dough skin made of flour and water) and fillings. Wontons can be boiled in a fragrant and watery broth, steamed in a bamboo steamer, or fried in a high-heat wok. Sometimes, wontons are also served with little noodles to make 'wonton noodles'. They are available with a large variety of fillings, such as ground pork, shrimp, fish, mushrooms, and other vegetables.

The stuffing found in dumplings is similar to that of wontons, and the cooking method is similar too.

Read more: Challenge yourself with top 5 Chongqing spicy dishes

Bubble Tea - Taiwan

The thing that you shouldn't miss when traveling in Taiwan is Bubble Tea. It’s so popular that it is now served across the globe and more commonly known as bubble tea or boba tea. Created here in Taiwan, this tapioca ball-filled drink is fast becoming the island’s official drink and with good reason. As far as afternoon snacks go, it takes some beating.

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Discover the best dishes in Asian countries

Known as "the quintessence of a country", the cuisine is one of the main reasons why people love traveling to Asia. These signature dishes are not only tasty but also reflect the distinctive marks and special meanings of Asian countries.

Pho (Vietnam)

If you have a chance to travel to Vietnam, don't forget to try a bowl of pho. Pho is a noodle soup that is classically made from rice noodles, fresh herbs, vegetables (cilantro, lime, bean sprouts and chilies) and raw beef that cooks itself in a steaming bone broth.

Peking Duck (China)

Peking duck is one of the most significant Beijing dishes. The duck meat is characterized by its thin, crisp skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook.

Pad Thai (Thailand)

A dish of stir-fried rice noodles is thought by some to have been introduced to Ayutthaya during the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom by Chinese traders and subsequently altered to reflect Thai flavor profiles. Pad thai is made with soaked dried rice noodles, which are stir-fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, and is flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chili pepper, and palm sugar and served with lime wedges and often chopped roasted peanuts.

Bibimbap (South Korea)

Probably the best-known Korean dish, Bibimbap is a must-try dish when traveling to South Korea. A hot stone bowl is filled with cooked rice and topped with vegetables, pickled Chinese radish, carrot, and mushrooms. Great care is taken to make the dish look attractive. Egg yolk and raw beef are also popular additions when stirred through they cook against the hot stone.

See more: Discover a taste of South Korea

Sushi (Japan)

For the unfamiliar, sushi refers to the Japanese preparation of vinegared rice served with a variety of ingredients, mostly fish and other types of seafood. It’s commonly eaten with pickled ginger and dipped in soy sauce mixed with wasabi. Unlike sushi which may contain cooked or prepared ingredients, sashimi is always served raw and without rice.

Banh Mi (Vietnam)

If you’re planning on traveling to Vietnam, the one sandwich you will hear about and will not want to miss is the Bánh Mì sandwich. This famous Vietnamese sandwich has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s best sandwich. A typical Vietnamese sandwich is a fusion of meats and vegetables from native Vietnamese cuisine such as chả lụa (pork sausage), coriander leaf, cucumber, and pickled carrots and daikon combined with condiments from French cuisine such as pâté, along with mayonnaise.

Dim Sum (Hong Kong)

If there’s one type of cuisine in Hong Kong that you’ll likely want to eat, again and again, it’s dim sum. Usually served for breakfast or lunch, the difficult part is choosing where to go amid the dizzying number of options. Hong Kong dim sum sessions were about tea appreciation - that's why dim sum meals are commonly known in Cantonese as yum cha.

Beef Noodle (Taiwan)

Beef noodle soup often referred to as beef noodles, is a Chinese and Taiwanese noodle soup made of stewed or red braised beef, beef broth, vegetables, and Chinese noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. The beef noodle soup was first created by the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty.

Chicken Rice (Singapore)

You can say chicken rice is a comfort food among many Singaporeans. Not only is this a cheap dish, but it is highly fragrant, filling and nutritious. The rice itself is made via a complicated process of balancing the right amounts of garlic, ginger and chicken broth to achieve a fragrant rice. The chicken too undergoes a complex process of steeping at sub-boiling temperatures to create a stock and reusing the broth over and over again.

See more: Enjoy the best traditional Indian dishes

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