10 Dishes: Thai Cuisine Trivia Quiz

Answer: shrimp

A Thai menu will often have many dishes ending in "goong" due to the fact that shrimp is such a staple protein in that country. "Tom yum goong" is the most popular variant of tom yum soups, and it is most often served with a clear broth (though coconut milk can be added if one desires). "Tom yum goong" uses the shrimp as a base as well as including cooked shrimp.

Many restaurants will also serve the shrimp without removing the head, as some patrons would like to get a little extra meaty goodness.

Answer: pad thai

Of the dishes listed, only pad thai is noodle-based as opposed to rice-based. "Kao pad" is Thai-fried rice. "Pad kra pao moo" is a fried pork and basil dish that is usually served with rice. "Kao tom" is a rice soup with a simple broth and other ingredients.

Modern food historians believe pad thai to have been invented in the mid-20th century by Chinese immigrants in Thailand, though the dish was quickly adopted by the Thai government as a distinctly Thai creation. One theory is that rice shortages due to wars and flooding led the government to propose noodles as an alternative foodstuff to rice. Nonetheless, the dish is a Thai staple and favorite.

Answer: papaya

Green papaya salad (som tam) uses unripe papaya as a main ingredient and includes a largely varied list of secondary ingredients including tomatoes, beans, nuts, dried shrimp, chilies, fish sauce, and squeezed lime. The ingredients are pounded with a mortar and pestle during preparation.

The dish is believed to be possibly Laotian in origin and is a national dish in that country as well. In Thailand, the dish was traditionally showered with a handful of bird's eye chilies, making it incredibly spicy. However, with international tourism a main draw in Thailand, less spicy versions have become more popular.

Answer: curry

Thai red curry and Thai green curry both contain coconut milk, but since their main ingredients of chilies are spicy by nature, you are not guaranteed to be spared from the heat of these dishes. The chilies also give the dishes their distinctive colors: red chilies for Thai red curry and green chilies for Thai green curry.

Both of these curries are usually served with a protein, often shrimp, chicken, pork, or beef. Spices and herbs such coriander (cilantro), lemongrass, cumin, garlic, and galangal give these dishes a strong fragrant taste.

Answer: True

Though meat skewers might not typically be the most common breakfast choice for most cultures, in Thailand, their ubiquity and convenience make them a popular food for those on-the-go in the morning. Grilled chicken skewers (gai yang) are also fair game and commonly seen in morning street markets.

In terms of other breakfast foods served in Thailand, porridge and fruit are popular. Fried Thai donuts can also be purchased from street vendors.

Answer: durian

Commonly grown in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the durian is perhaps the smelliest fruit on the planet due to its unique blend of chemical scents layered on top of one another. This makes it a frequent target of public banning by hotels, transportation systems, and governmental buildings.

The mangosteen is another popular fruit in Thailand, both in a culinary and agricultural sense.

Answer: It was sold by merchants travelling in boats.

Thai boat noodles, with their strong, dark broth, are infamous for both their flavor and their history. Their rich flavor comes from dark soy sauce, pickled bean curd, and pig's blood. Merchants traveling the canals of Thailand would cook and sell the noodles directly from their boats. Small bowls were needed because passing large bowls from boat to land could result in either seller or buyer spilling and burning themselves in the process.

The dish, more often served on land nowadays, is served in small bowls to honor this tradition.

Answer: fish

Asian-style fishcakes generally differ from their European counterparts in that the former are usually held together by a simple starch whereas the latter are usually combined with potato and then coated or battered. Asian fishcakes are also usually made with a fish paste; Europeans mostly chop or mince the fish.

Thai fishcakes add a variety of ingredients, including Thai basil, long beans, lime juice, and fish sauce.

Answer: cashew

Cashews are a mainstay in Thai stir-fries, and Thai cashew chicken is perhaps the most popular among them. Since cashews grown on the island of Phuket, this ingredient is widely available in Thailand.

With a sweet and spicy flavor, "gai pad med mamuang" consists of chicken, onions, shallots, garlic, and vibrant bell peppers for extra color. The sauce is composed of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce with extra sugar for sweetness. Like most stir-fries, the dish is then cooked in a wok and served.

Answer: glutinous

Glutinous rice is popular throughout East and Southeast Asia, and it is the type served with this dish. Numerous Thai dishes utilize the stickiness of the rice in their recipes, since that aspect tends to add a slightly sweet flavor to the dishes.

Despite the name, glutinous rice contains no gluten at all.