Thai food taboos

The only things that really need to be paid attention to are the hard taboos bound to religious beliefs, soft habits related to local social customs, and the personalized restrictions of different ethnic groups. Rules such as "You can't add coconut milk to Tom Yum Goong" and "You can't just add fish sauce when ordering rice noodles" that are widely circulated on the Internet are 90% made up by tourist accounts who have never been to the local area.

In 2019, I was doing morning alms with a local friend in Chiang Mai. The night before, I specially braised a large box of pork with soy sauce to give to the monks. When I was about to go out, my friend held me down. Then I remembered that although the Theravada monks do not require vegetarianism, they absolutely cannot accept meat-based alms, especially pork. If you really hand it out, it will not be an embarrassing issue, but a direct offense to the other person's belief. Of course, this only applies to monks. The dietary restrictions for ordinary believers are much looser. In addition to not actively killing animals, it is no problem to eat seafood and pork on a daily basis.

Oh, by the way, I should also mention the Muslim community in southern Thailand. The Muslim population in Yala and Narathiwat provinces close to Malaysia accounts for more than 70%. When going to restaurants there, don’t mention pork, and don’t bring pork products bought from outside. Last time I went to Trang on a business trip, I packed a bag with pork breasts. When I was taking out a tissue, I accidentally dropped it and quickly apologized to the boss. The boss was not angry. He pointed to the Halal sign at the door with a smile and said it doesn’t matter. Just pay attention next time. Most people know that tourists don’t understand and won’t deliberately make things difficult, but it is always polite to pay attention in advance.

The rest are mostly soft habits at the social level. There are no mandatory requirements, and different people's acceptance varies greatly. For example, people often say that you should not use your left hand to pass or receive food. Last time I bought mango sticky rice at the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. My right hand was still wet after washing my hands, so I subconsciously stretched out my left hand to pick it up. The stall owner smiled and handed the bag to my right hand, and waved to me and said it was okay. Young people don't care much about this now, but the older generation thinks that the left hand is used for cleaning chores, and it is unhygienic to touch food.

There is another little detail that many people don’t know. Don’t step on rice that has fallen on the ground, whether it is uncooked rice or glutinous rice or rice noodles that fell on the ground. Thailand is a traditional rice-growing country. Many older generations think that rice is a gift from the rice god. Stepping on it is disrespectful to the god. Last time I was there I was not paying attention when I was walking in Hua Hin Night Market and kicked half a piece of mango sticky rice that someone else had dropped. The grandmother running the stall next to me hurriedly knelt down to pick it up and put it on the small table next to the landlord.

Damn, a lot of people say you shouldn’t add any seasonings when you go to a Thai restaurant, saying you’ll get scolded by the boss. I’ve been to Thailand more than a dozen times, and whether it’s a roadside stall or a small restaurant recommended by Michelin, the fish sauce, spicy millet, white sugar, and lime juice on the table are all added casually. Every time I eat boat noodles, I have to add three spoons of chili. The boss will come over and give a thumbs up, saying that Chinese people can eat spicy food better than Thais. How come they are not allowed to add seasonings. It is also said that when you are a guest at a local’s home, you should not eat clean food, otherwise you will not respect the host. This also depends on the person. Last time I went to a friend’s house in the Northeast Isan region for dinner, and the green papaya salad made by his mother was too much for my appetite. I ate two big bowls in a row, and the bowls were scraped clean. Clean, his mother smiled from ear to ear, turned around and gave me another bowl, saying that it was a blessing to be able to eat. However, some older generation Chinese families may think that if you eat too clean, you are not full, and if the host does not entertain you well, if you are not sure, there is always a mouthful or two left in the bowl.

In fact, you really don’t need to be too nervous about Thailand’s dietary taboos. Thai people themselves are famous for being tolerant. If you are not sure whether there are any rules, just ask them directly. Even if your English is not good, the other party will understand after a few gestures. Compared with rigidly following false taboos that come from nowhere, sincerity is the master key that will not make mistakes.