5 Iconic Dishes You Must Try in Thailand, According to a Food Writer Living in Bangkok

These Thai foods define the country's culinary scene.

From the north of Chiang Mai to shores of the Andaman Sea, these five Thai dishes have an origin story to learn from, and tastes to savor.

Dish of the North: Laab

When people think of laab (or larb), the salty-spicy minced meat salad — they often think of the more popular version from the northeast, which is fiery, tart, and redolent of toasted rice powder. For generations, hunting for the meat — traditionally wild boar or buffalo — was a rite of passage for young men eager to show off their prowess, and the dish is served only on special occasions like weddings or funerals, says chef Phanuphon “Black” Bulsuwan of Blackitch Artisan Kitchen, in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai–style laab “requires more attention to detail,” he says, as the meat is chopped into a finer mince and more than 10 spices and herbs are used. He recommends the restaurant Laab Ton Koi, in Chiang Mai, where the spice blend includes cinnamon and the Szechuan-peppercorn-like makhwaen, or ash seed.

Dish of the South: Khao Yum

As with so many Thai dishes, there is a legend behind khao yum — an aromatic, herb-filled salad seasoned with nam budu, a fermented fish sauce. A Muslim ruler noticed that his subjects broke their fasts during Ramadan with meat, often causing digestive problems. He asked his doctor to concoct a culinary antidote. Healing ingredients, such as moringa flowers and Indian mulberry leaves, were mixed, and khao yum was born. It has since become a fixture of restaurants like the Michelin-two-starred Sorn, in Bangkok.

Dish of Central Thailand: Massaman Curry

This velvety, coconut-milk-based curry was developed in the kitchens of the Thai royal palace in the 17th century. Originally, it was made with almonds and raisins, and seasoned with nutmeg, bay leaves, and mace, according to chef Dylan Eitharong of Bangkok’s Haawm. It later evolved — it now consists of coconut milk, curry paste, potatoes, and peanuts — but the flavors of the spices within the paste remain. “It’s not a Thai-tasting curry,” Eitharong says of the globally popular meal, as most Thai curries rely on fresh herbs rather than dried spices. When Eitharong is craving massaman, he heads to Bangkok’s Yommana Mutton Shop.

Dish of the Northeast: Som Tum Pla Rah

Everyone thinks they know som tum — the green-papaya salad flavored with lime juice, dried shrimp, peanuts, and chilis that appears on Thai menus all over the world. But som tum pla rah is rooted in the culture of the Isan region, in the country’s northeast. It can be made from any sour fruit mixed with pla rah, the fermented fish sauce that forms the backbone of Isan cuisine. Chef Weerawat “Num” Triyasenawat of Samuay & Sons, in the city of Udon Thani, prefers his som tum heavy on the pla rah rather than lime juice. His favorite places to get it include Som Tum Benjang and Som Tum Kin Lawe Ruai, both in Udon Thani.

Dish of the East: Khao Kluk Prik Kluea

Thailand’s often-overlooked eastern seaboard is home to many of the country’s fruit farmers and fishermen. Among the most popular dishes in the coastal town of Chanthaburi may be khao kluk prik kluea, a mix of seafood, garlic, and chiles; celebrity chef Mom Luang Sirichalerm Svasti, nicknamed Chef McDang, says it’s an example of “Thai ingenuity.” The dish was born sometime around the turn of the 20th century, when local fishermen, who were unable to cook on their boats, started pouring prik kluea, a sauce made of fish stock, chiles, and lime juice, onto the day’s catch to cure it, then mixed it with rice. The best place to try it? The Nampu Night Market in downtown Chanthaburi, McDang says.

A version of this story first appeared in the December 2024 / January 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure.