Pad Thai
Bangkok, Thailand
Pad Thai is a wok-fried rice-noodle dish built around a sweet-sour-salty sauce of tamarind, fish sauce and sugar. The noodles are tossed with egg, bean sprouts and usually tofu, dried shrimp or prawns, then finished with crushed peanuts, lime and chilli. The best versions are quick and lightly coated rather than wet, with smoky wok heat balancing the bright tamarind and fresh garnishes.
Why locals eat it
Pad Thai became closely associated with Thailand’s mid-20th-century campaign to promote a shared national cuisine, but its technique also reflects the long presence of Chinese-style stir-frying and rice noodles in Thai cooking. In Bangkok it belongs to the fast, adaptable food of markets and street stalls: the cook adjusts the pan to the customer’s choice of tofu, egg, prawns or extra chilli.
Local tip
Watch the wok if you can: a busy stall usually cooks each portion to order. Taste the noodles before adding anything from the condiment caddy, then use chilli flakes, sugar, vinegar or fish sauce to correct the balance rather than covering the tamarind flavor.
Typically made with
rice noodles, tamarind, fish sauce, egg, peanuts, lime. Recipes vary — always check with the vendor if you have allergies.