If you have ever been to Thailand you will know how important the local Buddhist temple is in every day life. Many Thai people will regularly visit the temple to leave offerings for good luck and a sign of respect for the Buddha. Kaitlyn Moore visits a local flower market in Chiang Mai and ponders the ready-made gift offerings on sale.

People often ask us what a typical breakfast in Thailand looks like. Thai people don’t stick to particular breakfast foods, but there are a few dishes common to morning markets, like rice porridge and fried doughnuts.

Fresh sugarcane for sale at a local Thai market. Throughout South East Asia sugarcane is enjoyed whole as a snack or squeezed for its juice. Thailand is a major exporter of cane sugar.

Thailand’s second New Year celebration, the Chinese Lunar New Year, takes place for three days in February. Thais offer food and gifts to their ancestors and to the Gods, and gather with their loved ones over huge feasts. Chinese traditions like the lion dance have a place in Thai cities, too.

Chef McDang’s new cookbook The Principles of Thai Cookery has been getting a lot of attention. In this post, I test two of his recipes – Fried fish with garlic, white peppercorn, and cilantro root, and a spicy seafood dipping sauce.

Part 2 of Street Food Inspired Appetizers covers Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers and Miang Kam and adapts the recipes from Supatra Jonhnson’s excellent cookbook ‘Crying Tiger: Thai Recipes from the Heart’.

Cocktails are not yet typical drinks in Thailand, but you can use Thai ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, and coconut milk to inspire your own mixed creations. Try our Thai Basil Mojito, a Pineapple Ginger Daiquiri, Coconut Eggnog, or homemade Lemongrass Syrup.

Thailand’s street-food and snack culture offer plenty of inspiration for the home cook who wants to make amazing appetizers. This entry shows you how to make Crispy Panko Fried Shrimp with Thai Chili Sauce, Curry Puffs, Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers, and Lettuce-leaf wrapped Miang Kam. Three of these recipes come from the Isaan Thai Cookbook Crying Tiger: Thai Recipes from the Heart.

Temple of Thai has ideas for every foodie on your holiday gift list, from new cooks to seasoned dinner-party hosts. Best of all, these gifts can be ordered and shipped directly from their site. Happy Holidays!

Massaman Curry is a little more complicated to prepare than other Thai curries, but the results are worth it. Read on to learn the step-by-step process of preparing Massaman Curry paste, making the curry, and serving it in traditional Thai, or in a foreign-fusion, style.