Thailand Home > A - Z > Thai Food > North Eastern Thai Food
North Eastern (Isaan) Thai Food
 In North Eastern Thailand, or Isaan as it is called in Thai, the people hold very traditional attitudes to their food. Similar to the North and reflecting their Lao neighbours Isaan people prefer the sticky rice, both sweetened or steamed and again eaten with the hands. Traditionally this rice is served in a wicker basket called a Katib.
Much of their food is very spicy, with the ever popular Spicy Papaya Salad (Som Tam) being a favourite Thai dish worldwide. This salad is made from raw papaya, dried shrimp, crab, lime juice, garlic, tomatoes, green beans and chillies and may also be complimented in the traditional style with fermented fish.
The Isaan people of North East Thailand are well known for their use of fish and fish sauces in cooking with specialities such as stuffed fish, Pla Som, Pla Ra and Pla Daek.
Fish is a very popular ingredient in Isaan food, as many times meat has been scarce in the area and fish plentiful, so suitably the Thai dishes have adapted to its surroundings. It is no surprise therefore that many Isaan dishes include all manner of available fare, such as lizard, snake, bat and rats and most often these are fried.
Some other famous North Eastern Thai foods include Lap which is minced chicken or pork meat cooked in seasoned dried chillies, and Isaan Sausage, a stuffed mixture of intestines which is left to ferment.
North Eastern Thai food is often very hot and spicy so be warned when sampling Isaan food, you may order something to hot to handle!
| 
