THAILAND-The Land of the Free

 

 

Thailand lies between Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, with the Gulf of Thailand to its south. It is the 50^th largest country in the world with an area roughly equal to that of France.  With rugged mountains in the north and world-famous tropical beaches in the south, it is a land of pristine beauty. Thailand is separated into four distinct regions. Despite the overarching strength and unity of Thai culture, each region has its own unique cultural and geographic features.

 

 The culture of Thailand incorporates cultural beliefs and characteristics indigenous to the area known as modern-day Thailand coupled with much influence from ancient India, China, Cambodia, Laos along with the neighboring pre-historic cultures of Southeast Asia. It is influenced primarily by Animism, Hinduism, Buddhism, as well as by later migrations from China, and southern India. Thailand is one of the very few countries in Asia to have escaped Colonialism.  Even the name of the country means "The Land of the Free." While they do have a monarch, the king really remains as a symbol of the continuity of the country's independence, and he is revered and esteemed by his people.

 

 

                   
 

Thailand is a Buddhist nation, and that certainly helps one understand why the people are known to be very gracious, dignified, and kind. Buddhism in the way it is practiced in Thailand seems to instill such virtues.

The Thai people are said to have originated from Southwestern China. They are believed to have migrated toward the region that is now Thailand during the first thousand years A.D. By the thirteenth century several small Thai states had emerged. The greatest of these was the kingdom of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350. It was known as Siam to the outside world and claimed all the territory that makes up present-day Thailand, as well as other areas nearby.
 

 

In the early 1800's, King Mongkut, the model for the king in Rodgers and Hammerstein's famous musical, The King and I, came to rule, followed by his son, King Chulalongkorn, after whom the best university in Thailand is named. They accelerated modernization and brought in a number of important reforms that forestalled European empire builders. The people of Thailand continue to hold the monarchy in highest regard and the current king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, and his queen are beloved and revered. 
 

                                      

Siam was renamed Thailand in 1939. It was the first Asian nation to belong to the United Nations, having joined in 1946. And Thailand remains the world's fifth largest producer of rice and the largest exporter of rice.  

 

 

 

This week we decided to cook two traditional Thai dishes that are my very favorites. Beef Penang Curry and Chicken in Red Curry with Coconut Milk and Red Chili Paste. The Beef Penang is a dish that is a bit milder in terms of heat and is cooked using very thin strips of Sirloin Beef that is sautéed in Garlic, Red Chilies, Coconut Milk, Fish Sauce, Peanuts, Lemongrass, and Kaffir Lime Leaves. It is so creamy and delicious! The Chicken in Red Curry is a bit hotter and is prepared using very hot Thai red chili paste, coconut milk, garlic, Lemongrass, and cilantro. It is extremely spicy, which I prefer, and is full of flavor! I served both dishes over Thai Jasmine Rice, which is a family favorite. I washed mine down with a lovely Thai Beer, Singha. There is nothing as refreshing as a nice cold beer when enjoying a spicy hot curry!!

 

 

Here are the links to the recipes we used this week:

http://www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/beef-panang

http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrydishes/r/Easy-Thai-Red-Curry-Recipe.htm