Food and Drink: Daily Meals

Banana pancakes covered in sugar and condensed milk are a popular Thai sweet.

Snacking is extremely popular in Thailand, and most people eat several snacks a day.

At midday, Thais generally eat a single noodle- or rice-based dish.

Breakfast

Thai cuisine does not have typical dishes that are only eaten at breakfast, unlike in the West. Instead, a morning meal in Thailand usually consists of rice with leftovers from dinner the night before. Rice porridge, or congee, is also typical for breakfast, but it is also often eaten at lunch. Coffee is a popular breakfast drink, and it is usually served iced (owing to the warm climate), with milk and sugar.

Lunch

At midday, Thais generally eat a single noodle- or rice-based dish. Meals are typically served as individual portions and are not shared.

Dinner

Usually eaten in groups, dinner is the main meal of the day. Dinner is usually eaten after 7pm, once the sun has set and the midday heat has ebbed. A full dinner in Thailand typically includes several shared dishes, with soup, a salad, at least one spicy meat dish, a fish dish, and a plate of fresh vegetables. Harmony of tastes is important, so each dish will represent one of the five flavors of Thai cooking—spicy, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty—to achieve balance throughout the meal.

Snacks

Snacking is extremely popular in Thailand, and most people eat several snacks a day. Quick and convenient street foods are widely available in cities. Common snacks include spring rolls, chicken or beef satays, dried shrimp and chili wraps, curry puffs, salads, and coconut-based sweets.

Dessert

Thais often indulge in sugary desserts. Popular Thai sweets include sweet sticky rice with mango in coconut cream syrup, fermented rice pudding, banana pancakes covered in sugar and condensed milk, and egg yolk tarts.