(Newswire.net — June 25, 2013) Denver, CO — Denver Thai food restaurants are found to hold a special place in the hearts of Asian food connoisseurs due to its unique combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors with a tang of fresh fish using aged fish sauce. The introduction of trade on the Silk Road and various sea spice routes has had a major influence on Thai cooking. The Silk Road and the various seaports linked Asia with Europe. Interestingly it is thought that the introduction of chilies into Thai food was the result of Europeans. Many European nations, including the British, the French, and the United States of America had and continue to have a major economic and military presence in Asia as a direct result of the silk and spice trade.
Thai food was originally eaten with chopsticks but the current king of Thailand has preferred Western cultural eating habits of using forks and spoons, and so now everyone in Thailand eats with forks and spoons. The rest of Asia continues to eat with chopsticks.
Thai food is quite unique in Asia with the exception of a very close similarity in taste, texture, vegetables, and chili peppers in Laotian food. Vietnamese food is nowhere near as hot and has very little coconut in it. Southern Vietnam focuses more on spicy soups whereas Northern Vietnam has a more plain meal menu, while Southern Chinese cuisine focuses more on sauces. Although all of the Asian countries enjoy eating various types of bugs cooked in all kinds of different styles Thailand seems to enjoy eating bugs more than most. Unfortunately Denver Thai food has been found to be lacking in the very tasty grasshoppers so enjoyed by Thais.
Meals served at Thai food restaurants are often accompanied by a spice tray of dried red chili flakes, pickled jalapeno in vinegar, garlic red chili paste and prik nam pla – which is a delicious mix of fish sauce, diced Thai chili and a squeeze of lime.
Thai restaurants in Denver today can be found with both native chefs and chefs who have gone to Thailand to learn traditional methods of cooking, demonstrating one might not be better than the other. The primary factor of evolution in Thai food is the amount of chilies and curry used. In Thailand it often can take one month to become accustomed to traditionally spiced Thai food. The second factor of this evolution is in the combining of the wonderful Thai flavors with traditional American tastes and preferred meals.
###
By Gutchquena Mann and Dr. Cynthia Nodland, freelance journalists and they can be found on Google +