Imagine insisting maroon is the only shade of red. You would be correct that maroon is in fact a shade of red, but objectively wrong that it is the only one. Lately I’ve been ruminating over the myriad Thai curries there are available, yet the varieties people know outside of…
Vegan Thai Food and Travel
Vegan Thai food and recipes, plus Thailand travel tips, recommendations, and anecdotes
I have spent the past 15 years travelling back and forth to Thailand, with the last ten dedicated to food research. I love to share my knowledge (and opinions, sometimes of which may read accurately like tantrums) about vegan Thai cuisine travel within the Kingdom. Contrary to popular belief Thailand and Thai cuisine can be very vegan accessible, with many naturally plant based foods and others that are easily adapted.
ผัดมาม่าวีแกน Vegan Pad Mama – Stir Fried Instant Noodles
In Thailand pad mama is a stir fried noodle dish that elevates an unassuming packet of instant noodles to new heights. While you might normally associate instant noodles with a soup base, Thai street vendors have taken this quick treat a step further by frying them up with fresh vegetables…
Vegan Mushroom Lap (Lap Het ลาบเห็ด) – Spicy Thai Mushroom Salad
If you’ve ever wondered upon the myriad spellings of this well known Thai salad (larb, larp, lahb, lahp, lab, lap, laap, laab, etc), it’s purely down to the transliteration. Technically it should be ‘lap’ but as the ‘a’ sound is elongated in native Thai, it has become accepted to add…
Man Sampalang Cheum – Cassava in Syrup with Coconut Cream
One of my favourite things to eat in Thailand is nam kaeng sai (น้ำแข็งใส), or mixed ice desserts. These refreshing bowls are typically comprised of your choice of an impressive variety of toppings combined with shaved ice (or sometimes crushed ice), coconut milk, and simple syrup. These toppings can include…
15 Vegan Street Foods in Bangkok during the Thailand Vegetarian Festival
NB: the 1560 (2017) festival on Yaowarat was toned down significantly in comparison to previous years due to the extended mourning of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the late king of Thailand. In 2018 the festival is expected to return to its former grand scale event. Last week I published a list of…
40 Foods to Try at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in 2017
NB: the 1560 (2017) festival was toned down in comparison to previous years due to the extended mourning of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the late king of Thailand. I have been attending the vegetarian festival in Thailand since 2010, and in those years have learned much about the styles of food prepared…
Thai Street Noodles: Basic Vegan Noodle Stock
This is part one of what I intend to make a multi-part series on Thai noodle soups. But first, the foundation. Lay the groundwork with a flavoursome, quality stock and you’ll be building top notch noodle bowls in no time! Noodle soup broths are typically bone based, but vegetarian vendors…
ขนมบ้าบิ่น Kanom Baa Bin: Thai Coconut Cake
Kanom is often a word used to prepend names of mainly sweet snacks in Thai language, hence we have kanom chan, kanom krok (the coconut half-globe pancakes that every tourist seems to discover), and many more. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, however. For instance one exception is the…
Vegan Pat Macaroni
Pat macaroni is a Thai dish of pasta sauced with various condiments that include sriracha, soy sauce (I use seasoning sauce) and ketchup. Yes, ketchup. This stir-fry (pat/pad = stir-fried) lacks a strong hit of chilies, unless you make it spicy by preference, so it’s a popular dish for children…
Kitchen Sink Vegan Khao Tom
First, hush, you people who know how to be smooth enough in real life to build relationships face to face. Second, this is the story of me meeting someone from the internet on another continent and the dinner they cooked for me. Third, it’s not really story because I will…
How to order vegan noodles in Thailand
In the face of a foreign culture people tend to simplify its cuisine, narrowing it down to an easy to navigate package of dishes we order again and again. Take Thailand’s vast noodle repertoire, for instance. Styles and varieties could compete with Italy, surely, yet when we consider Thai noodle…
Thai Vegan Apple and Corn Som Tum Salad
This Thai vegan apple and corn som tum salad is an alternative to the usual green papaya based som tum we all know and love. Variations in Thailand aren’t uncommon, especially with regards to fruit. I’ve enjoyed both corn and fruit adaptations of this ubiquitous Thai salad in past, so…
