Northern Thai food is built around the ubiquitous basket of sticky rice and tends to have a Burmese influence.Danielle Matar/The Globe and Mail
I visited Thailand recently and was overwhelmed by the diversity in the food and how much regional variation there was between the north, south and centre of the country. Here, I'm adapting recipes from the north, with the south and Bangkok to come later. Wherever you might go in the country, be sure to try the street food – it's delicious and safe, especially if you visit the stalls that are busy.
Northern food is built around the ubiquitous basket of sticky rice – a staple on tables in Isan, which lies in the northeast corner of Thailand, bordering Laos and Cambodia. The region's rustic style of cooking is motivated by poor soil and unpredictable weather.
Nestled near the border of Myanmar, Chiang Mai did not have access to familiar Thai ingredients such as coconut milk, palm sugar and fish sauce until recently. The food tends to have a Burmese influence and incorporate the many herbs and vegetables that grow in the region.
All ingredients can be found at Asian supermarkets, such as T&T.