Introduction to Rice & Noodles

Rice is the key to the magnificent cuisine of Thailand. The myriad ingredients, captivating aromas, and intense flavors that make Thai food unique evolved from a simple ancient imperative: to make the rice go down. Thais eat rice with a pleasure and dedication that I couldn’t comprehend until I had lived for several months in a small town, eating simple country food. Without butter or even salt for flavor, Thai rice seemed so plain. But as I ate rice, plate after plate, meal after meal, day after day, I came to see “plain” as a good thing, describing the simplicity of rice, its satisfying, generous essence as the bearer of good food, and as fuel for our daily life. Most Thais, in fact most of the people of Asia, prefer not to go a day without eating rice.