Thailand cuisine has now  become so popular that it is ranked as one of the world’s top four  cuisines, along with Chinese, Indian, and French.

Because Thai cuisine is not typically regarded as standard catering fare here  in the United Kingdom, it provides a welcome relief from many of the  more established Oriental and Asian dishes, and will add an exotic flair and reputation to your cooking capabilities.

Whether chilli-hot or comparatively bland, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai.

The unique feature of Thai cuisine is the mixture of 4 basic tastes -- salty, sweet, sour and pungent. Many dishes can even be described as pungent and spicy with lots of garlic, chillies, and fresh herbs. Thai food not only tastes good, but is also healthy due to its low fat and high fibre and the nutritious properties of its herbal ingredients.

The tastes of Thailand range from spicy curries to mildly aromatic desserts and can sometimes surprise the visitor, for instance in the combination of both sweet and salty elements in the same dish.

Although it draws heavily on several of the great Asian culinary traditions, particularly Indian and Chinese, Thai food is unique, for its subtle combination of myriad ingredients, spices, herbs and sauces. One popular misconception about Thai cuisine is that it is invariably hot (spicy). In fact, many dishes are no hotter or spicier than any other Asian style.