What kinds of foods and flavors speak to your heart and soul? When I go out to a restaurant, or sit down for some noodle soup, I want it to take me over the moon. I want to feel invigorated by the bone broth or enlivened by the special herbs and spices used to create magic on my palate! Essentially, I want to be inspired!
One of the beautiful aspects of Chiang Mai, Thailand are the variety of flavors and herbs in every bite of their Northern dish, Khao Soi, curry noodle soup. This popular staple food of curry soup base with egg noodles is prevalent in Northern Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. You can find this dish in any market or night market and it is very much apart of Chiang Mai life.
When you slurp the spoonful of flavorful soup filled with yellow noodles, you can feel moments of herbs dancing on your tongue. There is a mouthful of mild spice, lemongrass, coconut milk, Thai basil, ginger, garlic, cilantro, turmeric, shallots, lime zest, bean sprouts, cardamom, pickled mustard greens, and fish sauce or soy sauce meeting your palate. Khao Soi is a chance meeting with your lover.
Another tasty and delicious northern dish sure to please your palate is the papaya salad, bursting with fresh kaffir, Thai lime flavors and peanuts gently playing about in your mouth. I had never gotten into Papaya Salad back in New York City, but let me tell you, papaya salad in Thailand - a whole other beast! The texture really is crunchy with a sweet and citrusy flavor. I think I loved this dish in Chiang Mai because it was so different, and I really enjoyed biting into the sweet and fresh slightly sour peanuts coupled with thin slices of papaya. I never knew what all the hoopla was about, and now I know . . . .
One thing to keep in mind is papaya salad utilizes the unripened papaya, so it's almost like a sweet, limey, crunchy cucumber salad . . . but better! You won't get the mushy texture from the fruit served as a dessert.
Another dish we found in Chiang Mai included homemade local sausages of all kinds (pork, chicken) that you eat with sliced fresh ginger and green chilis. I enjoyed this local food as well because I felt as though I was experiencing a piece of what Northern Thailand specialized in. There was a sense of farm fresh and local food everywhere we explored Chiang Mai, and it made me feel natural, warm and inspired.
Lastly, Tom Yum Goong, another fan favorite everywhere in Thailand, and for Thais, this dish means home. When we think of Tom Yum Goong, this soup dish is the epitome of Thailand because of its popularity. You can find slices of galangal (family of ginger root) kaffir and lemongrass when you sip the wonderful hot and sour and spicy soup with shrimp. This soup is delicious paired with a bowl of rice, and will make you feel right at home in Thailand. Another popular and common dish throughout Thailand, and it's one you won't want to miss!