Are you one of those people who fell in love with Thai cuisine and then found themselves studying the Thai language? I can’t blame you for that, because who wouldn’t like Thai food?
So today we have a great post for you about Thai food vocabulary. We’ve listed the most useful Thai food terms, cooking terms for Thai cuisine, plus the most popular Thai foods (such as Pad Thai) in Thai restaurants. Just keep reading for detailed vocabulary about these topics!
Table of Contents
Thai Food Vocabulary You Need To Know
Without further ado, let’s dive into some Thai food vocabulary you’ll need if you want to sample all the food Thailand has to offer. From fruits, drinks, and even the names of utensils you’ll be using, we’ll cover it all. Read on!
Fruits
Fruits can be grown almost anywhere in Thailand and the country is rich in terms of growing fruits and vegetables. Some of the fruits in this list may be unfamiliar to you since there are many delicious and unique Thai fruits, but we tried to collect the most popular ones among Thai people.
Vegetables
Vegetables are one of the core elements of Thai cuisine. Most Thai foods are based on vegetables along with meat or seafood, especially in southern Thai cuisine. So, here is the list of vegetables in Thai.
Meat & Seafood
As we mentioned above, one of the main ingredients of Thai cuisine is meat and seafood. Anything that comes from the sea can turn into a tasty Thai dish. Meat is also seen as a perfect match with a noodle dish by Thai people. So, here is the list of seafoods and meats in Thai.
Popular Thai Dishes (อาหารไทยยอดนิยม, Aa Hǎan Tai Yɔ̂ɔt Ní Yom)
There are numerous Thai restaurants all over the world that help us to meet with amazing Thai-style foods. For me, the best one is Pad Thai. So if there is a Thai restaurant in your town, I highly recommend you to taste it as well as other Thai foods!
Drinks
In Thailand, cold and iced drinks are more preferred by people since the weather is usually hot there. This vocabulary list would be really useful when you go to a fancy cafe or grocery shop in Thailand. Let’s have a look at drinks in Thai.
Thai Cooking Terms
In this vocabulary list, we gathered the most frequently used Thai cooking terms in the kitchen. These words could be easier to memorize if you think about them or say them aloud while cooking in the kitchen.
English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
---|---|---|---|
Baked | อบ | òp | |
Fried | ทอด | tɔ̂ɔt | |
Grilled | ย่าง | yâang | |
Roasted | คั่ว | kûa | |
Steamed | นึ่ง | nʉ̂ng | |
Warm | อุ่น | ùn | |
Bitter | ขม | kǒm | |
Salty | เค็ม | kem | |
Spicy | เผ็ด | pèt | |
Sweet | หวาน | wǎan |
Thai Cooking Utensils
I was really surprised when I found out Thai people have such cool cooking utensils in their kitchen. They are super useful and practical. Here are the most frequently used cooking utensils in Thailand.
Thai Food Terms
You can use these food-related words to define what does the food taste like and express your comment about it. Also, you will be able to tell people if you are following a special diet such as vegan or vegetarian.
English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
---|---|---|---|
Allergic | แพ้ | pɛ́ɛ | |
Vegan | วีแก้น | wii gɛ̂ɛn | |
Vegetarian | มังสวิรัติ | mang sà wí rát | |
Hungry | หิว | hǐu | |
Salty | เค็ม | kem | |
Spicy | เผ็ด | pèt | |
Sweet | หวาน | wǎan | |
Sour | เปรี้ยว | bprîao |
Useful Dining Phrases
If you have a limited language level in the Thai language, these are some casual phrases that can save you when you go dining outside in Thailand or when you are invited for the dinner by a Thai friend. They are pretty simple so you can just go over them quickly.
Southern Thai Food
Spices are an essential part of Southern Thai cuisine, so those who are a fan of intense flavor should visit the south of Thailand where the foods are much spicier and hotter than the foods in Northern Thailand.
Nearly every meal is eaten with rice everywhere in Thailand so there is at least one rice cooker in Thai houses. In the south, soft-boiled rice is very common as the main dish. Jasmine rice is also preferred.
Southern Thailand has a lot more rain than the north, which brings an abundance of coconuts. Coconut milk is added to many popular dishes, including curries and soups, which makes them thick and flavorsome.
Northern Thai Food
In Northern Thailand, they prefer steamed sticky rice. They use fingers to roll the rice into a ball, then dip it into a spicy dip sauce, it’s also really good with crispy and boiled vegetables.
Unlike the south, curries tend to be thinner in the north where they usually use a broth or stock. Also, in the north, the nearest ocean is hundreds of miles away, therefore seafood is not as common as it is in Southern Thailand. People use chicken and pork instead of seafood.
How Do You Say “Food Vocabulary” In Thai?
In Thai, “food vocabulary” is kam sàp gìao gàp aa hǎan (คำศัพท์เกี่ยวกับอาหาร). Kam sàp (คำศัพท์) means “vocabulary”, gìao gàp (เกี่ยวกับ) means “about”, and aa hǎan (อาหาร) means “food”.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thai Food Vocabulary
1. What Are The 4 Categories Of Thai Food?
Thai cuisine can be split into 4 categories depending on how the food is prepared. This includes boiled dishes (ต้ม, dtôm), salads (ยำ, yam), foods prepared in a mortar (ตำ, dtam), and curries (แกง, gɛɛng). These 4 categories dictate how different foods are named. For more related vocabulary and phrases, check out the Ling app!
2. What Does “Yum” Mean In Thai?
“Yum” (ยำ, yam) is a Thai word to describe a spicy salad. Famous Thai dishes such as yam nʉ́a yâang (ยำเนื้อย่าง) or yam tá lee (ยำทะเล) are examples of this type of tasty dish!
3. What Does “Khao” Mean In Thai?
“Khao” (ข้าว, kâao) means “rice” in Thai. Being a staple of any complete meal in Thailand, rice accompanies Thai dishes such as Tom Yam (ต้มยำ, dtôm yam), Tom Kha Gai (ต้มข่าไก่, dtôm kàa gài), or Massaman Curry (แกงมัสมั่น, gɛɛng mát sà màn), are all served with a hearty bowl of rice.
What’s Your Favorite Thai Food?
Whew, that was a lot of vocab! We hope you learned the different ways to communicate your Thai food needs, whether it’s at a restaurant or a local stall, you should now be able to use Thai food vocabulary in many different situations in Thailand.
So what are you going to order on your next trip to Thailand? Maybe you’d prefer some spicy papaya salad, or some delicious massaman curry. Whatever the dish may be, use the Thai food vocabulary you’ve learned today to order and eat some delicious Thai food!