Some restaurants and street food vendors may ask “Gin phet dai mai?” meaning “Can you eat spicy food?” For yes, say “dai,” and for no, say “mai dai.”
The spice level for many dishes can vary depending on the number of chilli peppers. For instanse, thais can eat Som Tam with 12 chillies in it that is unbearably spicy for a foreigner, usually only 1 chilli is enough if you are not a thai.
Here is the list of TOP 10 the spiciest Thai dishes to our opinion.
1.Kaeng tai pla – Thai southern-style curry with fish entrails
Kaeng tai pla is a curry of southern Thai cuisine. Its name is derived from tai pla, a salty sauce made from fermented fish entrails, which gives the curry a strong smell and flavor. This curry is usually served with fresh vegetables in a separate plate and eaten along with steamed rice.
- Region or state: Southern Thailand
- Main ingredients: Fish, vegetables, fermented fish viscera sauce
- Alternative name: Gaeng tai pla
2. Kaeng pa – Thai curry with vegetables
Kaeng pa is a variety of Thai curry from the forested areas of Thailand. Kaeng pa, which means “jungle curry,” is a watery, hot and flavourful curry. Unlike many other Thai curries, traditional kaeng pa usually contains no coconut milk, as coconuts are not naturally found in the rainforests in the northern part of the country.
- Region or state: South East Asia
- Main ingredients: Pork, Chicken
- Alternative name: Gaeng pa
3. Leng sab – Sour and Spicy Pork Neck Bone Soup
“Leng” is a clear pork bone soup filled with huge pork bones and dressed with chilies, herbs, spice and everything nice. It has a similar taste to Tom Yum, but has a sharper tanginess and a unique aroma from the green chillis. The dish is usually served hot with a large piece of well-boiled, soft pork neck in a flavorful broth.
- Region or state: South East Asia
- Main ingredients: Pork
- Alternative name: Leng Tom Zab
4. Tom yum – Hot and sour soup
Tom yum is a type of hot and sour Thai soup. It’s typically made with shrimp or a large prawn (tom yum goong), but can also be made with chicken (tom yum gai), clear tom yum without coconut milk called tom yum nam sai. Tom yum, known for its herbal flavors, is made from lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, tamarind, chillis, mushrooms and coriander.
- Region or state: South East Asia
- Main ingredients: shrimp, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal
- Alternative name: tom yam, tom yum goong, tom yum gai, tom yum nam sai
5. Kua kling – Stir-fried meat with curry paste
Khua kling is a spicy, dry-fried curry. The primary components are meat and red curry paste. Unlike most curries that are cooked in a spicy sauce, the dry meat style directly seasons the meat. When dry-frying the meat its fat renders allowing the curry paste to adhere. Kua Kling has salty and spicy flavours as well as aromatic notes of various herbs and spices. It’s less spicy than Kaeng Tai Pla, but still very spicy.
- Region or state: Thailand
- Main ingredients: curry paste and roast meat
- Alternative name: Khua kling
6. Kaeng som – Spicy and sour yellow curry soup
Kaeng som or gaeng som or Thai sour curry is a sour and spicy fish curry or soup with vegetables popular in southern Thailand. Kaeng Som translates to “orange curry.” The curry is characteristic for its sour taste, which comes from tamarind. The recipe uses palm sugar to sweeten the curry. People usually add fish as well as bamboo and coconut shoots to the curry.
- Region or state: Southern Thailand
- Main ingredients: Fish and vegetables
- Alternative name: Kaeng Som Kung
7. Phad kaphrao – Stir-fried meat with chilli and holy basil
Phat kaphrao consists of meat such as pork, chicken, beef, and seafood stir fried with Thai holy basil and garlic. It is served with rice and topped up (optional) with fried eggs or khai dao (Thai: ไข่ดาว). The main seasonings are soy sauce, Thai fish sauce, oyster sauce (optional), cane sugar, and bird’s eye chili. Phad kaphrao is one of the most popular dishes in Thailand.
- Region or state: Thailand
- Main ingredients: pork, chicken, beef
- Alternative name: Phat kaphrao, pad krapow, kaprao
8. Som tum – Green papaya salad
Green papaya salad is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. Originating from ethnic Lao people, it is also eaten throughout Southeast Asia. There’s also som tum pu pla ra which has raw crab and fermented fish sauce. Som tum pon la mai is a fruit verison of the recipe with apple, tomato and corn in the same spicy seasoning as the original.
- Region or state: Southeast Asia, Lao
- Main ingredients: Papaya
- Alternative name: som tum pon la mai, som tum pu pla ra
9. Gaeng Som Pla Chon – Snake Head Fish with Sweet and Sour Soup
Gaeng Som has three main types – one from the south which is a Yellow Curry soup and extremely spicy (one of the hottest dishes you can find in Thailand, along with “Kua Kling”), Southern Gaeng Som is usually made with sea bass, or shrims, with and green papaya, or bamboo. Gaeng Som used in Central Thailand, which is a lot milder, normally served with crispy fried catfish, shrimps, or or snakehead fish.
- Region or state: Thailand
- Main ingredients: Catfish, yellow curry
- Alternative name: Gaeng Som
10. Nam Phrik – Shrimp paste chilli dip
Nam phrik is a type of Thai spicy chili sauce typical of Thai cuisine. Usual ingredients for nam phrik type sauces are fresh or dry chilies, garlic, shallots, lime juice and often some kind of fish or shrimp paste. The dip is a savoury combination of salty, tangy and spicy. The dip is typically served with deep-fried mackerel, steamed vegetables and rice.
- Region or state: South East Asia
- Main ingredients: Chili peppers
- Alternative name: Nam phrik num, Nam Phrik Ta Deang
Leave a comment