The flavors of Thailand are varied, colorful, and delicious. RealFoodTraveler.com welcomes travel writer Lavanya Sunkara as she shows us vegan Thai food by region. 

Thailand photo by Pixabay.

The first time the sweet and tangy papaya salad made contact with my taste buds, I was in heaven. The refreshingly crunchy and spicy dish, popular in Northeast Thailand, was something I never had in any western Thai restaurant. But that’s the beauty of the Land of Smiles, known for its stunning temples, breathtaking beauty, and spine-tingling cuisine. What delighted me most was the regional variance in the cuisine. The delicious Thai curries we are so accustomed to in America are popular in the Central and Southern regions where coconuts are in abundance. The Northeastern region is culturally influenced by nearby Laos, while the mountainous Northern region shares dishes with Burma.

My recent trip to Thailand had many highlights, but none compare to the culinary treasure trove I discovered. As a vegan, it was a relief to find unique fruit, veggie salads, and meat-free stir-fries prepared with local herbs and spices, and curries and desserts cooked with coconut milk. Many restaurants accommodated my dietary needs and I never once felt bored eating the same dish at multiple destinations; each time it was just as lip-smacking, if not more so, than the last.

The ingredients for pomelo salad.

Here are some of my favorite time-honored regional dishes with a few bonuses found everywhere in the country.

1) Som Tam (Spicy Green Papaya Salad) from the Northeast

The cuisine of the Northeast, often referred to as Isan, is heavily influenced by neighboring Laos. Isan food is well seasoned with herbs and spices. The Som Tam, a popular Thai salad, is made with shredded green papaya bruised in a mortar along with garlic, red chilies, cherry tomatoes, and sprinkled with palm sugar, lime or tamarind juice and peanuts. The salad is usually prepared with fish sauce and topped with dried shrimp; make sure to inform the staff you are vegan, so they avoid these ingredients. This is probably the tastiest salad I’ve ever had and the province of Ubon Ratchathani is the best place to experience it.

Spicy Som Tam.

2) Yum Som-O (Pomelo Salad) from Central Thailand

The pomelo (also called Chinese grapefruit) is the largest in the citrus fruit family, ranging from the size of a cantaloupe to a watermelon. It is cultivated in the fertile plains of Central Thailand around Ayutthaya. Pomelo has the sweet taste of orange, with the tang of lemon, and makes for a tasty main ingredient in the invigorating Yum Som-O (pomelo salad). A touch of lime juice and palm sugar, along with green chilies, bring out the flavor of the fruit. Sometimes the salad comes with shredded coconut, shallots, lemongrass, or cilantro. No matter how it’s prepared, it’s one of the most refreshing salads you could have on a hot day!

Pomelo Salad.

3) Kaeng Khiao Wan (Green Curry) from Southern/Central Thailand

Thai curries made with coconut milk originate in the Southern and Central regions. These curries, inspired by various foreign entities, have evolved to suit Thai tastes. Southern food, especially in the islands off the coast, is some of the spiciest, with a profusion of spices like chili, turmeric, cardamom, and black peppercorns. Fish sauce is often added for taste, but substituting it with salt doesn’t detract from the flavor. Most eateries didn’t have tofu to add (unless you are in a resort restaurant), but I was happy to forgo this for added vegetables. Despite the sweet coconut milk, the zesty curries tend to clear out your sinuses, but coupled with jasmine rice, this vegan delight is sure to become a favorite.

Green Curry.

4) Miang Kham (Leaf Wrapped Bites) from Northern Thailand

Compared to other regions, Northern cuisine, locally known as Lanna food, is milder, heavily meat-based, and deep-fried. But don’t fret; salads and curries can be made vegan upon request. The region has an abundance of wild mushrooms, forest veggies and fruits. Miang Kham is a nimble food, that allows you to pick and mix your own combination of flavors, from sweet and sour to hot and salty. A Khantoke (round tray) is set with greens, bits of vegetables, chilies, shallots, spicy ginger, and peanuts. Wrap the ingredients in a Cha Plu leaf and savor this appetizer that’s sure to stimulate your taste buds. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are two of the best cities to find Lanna food with vegan options.

Cha Plu leaves.

5) Pak Boong (Morning Glory)  

In all my time in New York and San Francisco, known for some of the best Thai restaurants, I never came across the goodness that is Pak Boong (Morning Glory) stir fry. This is one of Thailand’s most popular dishes and is one of the simplest, with just a few ingredients, and extremely healthy. Fresh water spinach is seasoned with soybean paste, soy sauce, garlic, and red chillies. Eat it with steamed jasmine, or on its own, and enjoy the salty, crunchy, spicy tender shoots and leaves almost everywhere you go in the country. The dish is typically made with oyster sauce, so to keep it vegan, ask that it be omitted. But before you order, don’t plan any romantic encounters as the dish has a potent garlic infusion.

Vegan Morning Glory Salad.

6) Thai Desserts

There are a variety of Thai desserts with just a few ingredients: fruit, flour, palm sugar, and coconut. Natural herbs and plants are used to add color: red from rose petals, green from pandanus leaves, and purple or blue from butterfly pea blossoms. Stay away from anything yellow or orange, as they are probably made with egg yolk. Some of my favorite desserts from the island of Koh Samui include and Lod Chong, an iced dessert of worm-like green rice flour noodles and melon floating in coconut milk. In Isan, Kanom Krok, a luscious coconut and rice cake, is often offered for breakfast. Needless to say, it started off my days in a wondrous way.

Khau Niao Mamuang mango sticky rice. Photo courtesy TATNY (Thailand Tourism NY) .

— Story and photos (except where noted) by Lavanya Sunkara.

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