I first tried kaeng liang at one of my favourite restaurants in Bangkok, and haven’t been able to shake the memory of the flavour since. After bemoaning the difficulties of sourcing lemon basil (bai maenglak, hairy basil, hoary basil) in England, the friend I was dining with flipped quickly through…
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.
Vegetarian Thai Phrases and Tips on Ordering Vegan Food in Thailand
With little preparation and knowledge it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unable to request or identify vegan options in Thailand beyond mango sticky rice and spring rolls. Fortunately Thais are well versed in the concept of veganism, and with patience and perseverance Thailand is an endlessly rewarding destination for food-loving…
Khanom Chan ขนมชั้น Thai Layered Dessert
Khanom chan is unlike any Western dessert you’re likely to come across, but if you like sticky and tacky East Asian sweets then this is most certainly a recipe worth your time and effort. Yes, it’s time consuming – once the dough is prepared, each of the many layers is…
Nam Som Prik Dong: Thai Chillies Pickled in Vinegar (น้ำส้มพริกดอง)
Found on each table at every noodle-hawking stall in Thailand is a caddy of condiments, seasonings to add flavour balance based on a diner’s personal tastes. Granulated sugar for sweetness, fish sauce (perhaps with chillies and lime) to add saltiness, roasted chilli powder for heat, and to impart sourness is…
Vegan Pad Gaprao (Pat Kaprow – ผัดกะเพรา)
After years of visiting Thailand, writing about its food and the annual vegetarian festival, I decided it was time to try to learn some of the language. So hello from Bangkok, where I am sitting in a small Asoke flat scattered with notes of how to say and write statements…
Seven Thai vegan foods to try in bprà thêet thai (Thailand)
เจ, pronounced a little bit like the halfway point between ‘jay’ and ‘jee,’ roughly translates to ‘vegan’ in Thai. Each year a nine day vegetarian festival is held across the country, more pronounced in some areas than others, that celebrates a je diet. The event is large and unmissable if you are…
Sweet Potato Balls (Kanom Kai Nok Krata) ขนมไข่นกกระทา
Despite a common belief by many Westerners that vegetarianism is impossible to communicate in Thailand, and that fish sauce goes in everything, the Thai language has a word to indicate veganism that is universally understood. เจ translates in English to je, or jay, and means no animal products. The concept…
Stir Fried Pickled Mustard Greens With Tofu
I first tried this stir fry in Phuket after randomly pointing to a few items on a vegan buffet so large that my decision-making gears nearly broke (and they barely function to begin with). I recognised the flavour of pickled mustard greens and excitedly asked for the name of the…
Vegan in Bangkok: Malls and Supermarkets
If in doubt, a Bangkok food court is a good place to look for vegetarian eats. Most large shopping centres will have at least one option, even if it’s tucked away and you have to spend four trips looking because you are too stubborn to give up. Not that this…
Western Vegan Bakery in Bangkok
Bangkok has long since practiced a cultural tradition in veganism and it’s not as if vegan sweets have ever been off the table, but with the opening of Veganerie cake is firmly in the centre ring. Decadence is an understatement. Plan your day according to sugar highs and crashes, because…
Unsorted bangkok vegan eats
When I’m in Bangkok I eat a lot. I walk, I eat, I walk some more, and I eat some more. I never write about everywhere I dine because, well, there are too many places, but here are a few more spots I thought worth a mention. The vegan menus…
The best known vegetarian restaurant in Bangkok
May Kaidee, a popular restaurant just off Bangkok’s infamous Khao San road, is one of the area’s favoured eateries, both by vegetarians and omnivores. May runs the Bangkok end of the business, while her sister runs May Kaidee in Chiang Mai. Both branches offer a variety of cooking classes from…
