A Taste of Thailand Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tom yum

Tom Yum or "Tom Yum Goong" is a hot and sour soup that is usually prepared with shrimp. It is sometimes referred to as "tom yam", tom representing the art of the boiling process involved in making the dish, and yam meaning a spicy and sour salad (incorporated into the broth).

It one of three dishes that are classified as a "national dish" in Thailand, the others being Pad Thai and the other Som Tam. Regional varieties of Tom Yum may also include coconut milk, mushrooms, or even pork or chicken.

Answer: Laos

Larb is a meat salad that is mainly found in the country of Laos but also has regional variations that can be found in the Isan province of Thailand, the Shan state in Myanmar, and the Hunnan region of China. Larb is a mixture of minced chicken, beef, pork, duck, or fish that are mixed with a variety of spices and fish sauce.

Although not the same thing, it could be compared to the North American steak tartare. Unfortunately, many people are hesitant to try Larb due to the potential health risks associated with it. If not cleaned or prepared properly, consuming this dish runs the risk of suffering from rabies, salmonella, or trichinosis.

Another risk includes the consuming of parasitical worms from eating raw fish versions of the dish and possible bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) due to issues associated with fermentation of fish products.

Answer: Sriracha

Sriracha is a hot sauce prepared from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, and spices. While it has been produced in mass quantities in Irwindale, California at the Huy Fong Foods plant since 1980, the origins of the sauce began in Thailand. According to accounts, it is believed that it was originally made by sawmill workers in the coastal city of Si Racha.

These local workers would go to a local shop and purchase ingredients to make their chili paste. The shop keeper, a woman known as Ah Pae, recognized this and began to produce the sauce herself to sell in her shop. Versions of the sauce made in Thailand are often runnier and spicier than those produced in North America.

Answer: Ice Cream

While the concept of ice cream has been around for thousands of years, it was only introduced to Thailand during the reign of Rama V which began with his first coronation in 1868 and ended upon his death in 1910. During his reign, the first ice cream machine was imported to Thailand and ice cream was served as a special treat for the upper class.

Initially, it was merely coconut water blended with ice. As years passed, ice cream was made using coconut milk, sugar, milk, and flour. By the 1970s, the Pop Company set up a manufacturing plant in Thailand, imported machines from overseas, and became the first company to mass produce ice cream in Asia.

Answer: Bananas

Pad Thai is a common street food that is served throughout Thailand. Essentially, it is a stir-fry made with rice noodles, fish sauce, eggs, shallots, shrimp, tamarind, chilis, and topped with peanuts. Other proteins that can be used for the dish may include chicken, lobster, crab, or squid.

The dish was originally created during the rice shortage in Thailand during World War II. The Prime Minister at the time, Plaek Phibunsongkhram, encouraged the use of noodles and promoted them to the general population.

Answer: Green Papaya Salad

Green papaya salad is a spicy dish that made using unripened papaya. The idea behind the dish is that it combines the five main tastes of the local region or cuisine. These five tastes include sour, hot, salty, savory, and sweet. To produce these flavors, ingredients such as limes, chilis, palm sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and shrimp paste are often used in the dish.

The ingredients are than pounded using a mortar and mixed together. Green papaya salad is often served with a protein such as chicken and a bed of sticky rice.

Answer: False

Monster Energy was a drink produced in the United States in 2002 by the Monster Beverage Corporation. Krating Daeng is a Thai energy drink that literally translates to "red bull" and originated as the inspiration behind another popular energy drink, Red Bull. Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz, while on a business trip to Thailand, discovered that the Krating Daeng drink helped to cure his jet lag.

After discussions with Chaleo Yoovidhya, the creator of Krating Daeng, they entered a partnership and founded the Red Bull GmbH company in 1984 and turned it into an international brand.

Answer: Khanom Tokiao

Khanom Tokiao or "Khanom Tokyo" is a popular Thai street food that is made using a pancake and sweet custard sauce. The dish can have both sweet and savory flavors to it. Popular fillings include vanilla custard, fruit jams, or shredded coconut. When making savory versions, they may include quail eggs or saltier fillings such as sausage or hot dogs.

Answer: Curry

Curry dishes are a staple of Thai cuisine. Typically, Thai curry is typically made using a curry paste rather than a powder. Dishes then are prepared using coconut milk, meats, vegetables, or seafood. The paste itself differs from Indian curries due to the different ingredients found in them. Thai curries often include lemongrass, shrimp paste, and galangal while Indian curries often use turmeric, tamarind, cardamom, and coriander.

Answer: Giant Water Bug

Not for the squeamish, a Thai cuisine quiz would not be complete without noting some of the unusual delicacies. In many regions of the country, various insects can be purchased and consumed by both the locals and tourists alike. Many street vendors sell deep-fried critters including grasshoppers, crickets, and termites.

Other popular edible insects include bee larvae, the silk worm, and ant eggs. The flavor giant water bug known as "lethocerus indicus" has been compared to Gorgonzola cheese and is often used in a popular chili dip known as "nam phrik maeng da".

Some locals have even been known to use tadpoles in both soups and egg dishes. Yummy!