從普吉島一路吃到清邁

泰國菜以其新鮮酸辣、色香味俱全，區別于東南亞諸國菜系。細細分辨泰國菜也有東南西北的差異，在艷陽高照的夏季，我們可以在泰國菜中尋味陽光與海洋，用味覺就可以勾勒出一個泰國地圖。

Thai cuisine stands out from its Southeast Asian peers with a unique sour and spicy flavor. It is divided into four regional cuisines corresponding to the four main regions of the country. In summer， we can take a culinary tour of Thailand to explore sea and sunshine in Thai food.

用味道勾勒泰國地圖

關于泰國是美食天堂的說法，相信所有曾到泰國旅行過的人都不會陌生。也許是湄公河的灌溉與印度洋海風的吹拂，使得泰國一年四季都物產豐富、海鮮富足，于是這豐富的海鮮與水果，便順理成章地成為了泰國菜的主要用料。從咖喱皇炒蟹、火龍果青椒蝦仁等熱菜，到冬陰功湯、魚翅冬瓜盅等湯水，從木瓜龍蝦沙律、脆皮鮮果沙律等冷盤，到用棕櫚糖、椰奶制成的甜點，水果與海鮮一次次夢幻般的結合，完美地攻陷人們的味蕾。甚至連米飯也不放過加入水果與海鮮的機會，聲名遠播的菠蘿飯就是一個好例子。椰子的清爽與菠蘿的甜香，加上咖喱海鮮醬的鮮香，絕對是人間極品，一不小心就會戀上這個味道而不能自拔。水果與海鮮除了帶給泰國菜絕妙的味道，也將鮮艷的色彩帶入菜中。菠蘿的金黃、時令蔬菜的翠綠、海鮮的猩紅，不管蔬菜、瓜果的艷麗清新，還是蝦蟹等眾海鮮的肉感，盤碟都流淌出夏天的繁盛景象。

雖說只要掌握好咖喱、椰奶、甜酸醬的混合比例就能大致做出一桌味道還算不錯的泰國菜，但由于泰國南北食材差異很大，比如曼谷蔬果茂盛，南方海鮮泛濫，因而在如油畫般艷麗鮮活的水上集市或黃昏熱鬧的沙灘上，用舌尖感受不同城市的味道，就成了泰國旅行者最美妙的事情之一。

A Bite of Thailand

Thailand is a paradise of delicious food. Thanks to the Mekong River and the Indian Ocean， Thai is abundant with fruit and sea products throughout the year， which naturally become the main materials for Thai cuisine. From hot dishes such as curry fried crab and pitaya prawn， to Tom Yum Goong and Shark Fin Winter Melon Soup， from cold dishes like papaya lobster salad and fruit salad， to dessert like palm sugar and coconut juice， fruit and seafood work wonders through countless combinations in captivating our palate. Even rice is sometimes cooked with fruit and seafood. The famous pineapple rice is a typical example where the freshness of coconut， the sweetness of pineapple， and the curry seafood sauce come together to create a lingering taste. While complementing the flavor， fruit and seafood also bring bright colors to Thai cuisine. Golden pineapple， green vegetables， scarlet seafood jointly present a profuse summer landscape in a dish of Thai cuisine.

You may as well make a table of passable Thai dishes with the right mix of curry， coconut milk， sweet and sour sauce. Yet the difference between the fruit abundant north and seafood rich south promises a fantastic culinary tour of Thailand. For tourists， tasting the flavor of different cities of Thailand on its floating markets or beach market would no doubt be an one-of-its-kind experience.