Pad Thai is nothing more than a regular noodle dish, one that is not even native to Thailand. To understand the history of Pad Thai (ผัดไทย), you need to understand the meaning of the words. Thai (ไทย) – that’s obvious. Pad (ผัด) – means fried. There are however, countless Thai dishes with the word Pad in it.
The main ingredient in Pad Thai is rice noodles which are stir-fried. So, if you were to roughly translate Pad Thai, you’d have to say the dish is stir-fried noodles Thai style. The actual name of the dish, Kway Teow Pad Thai (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวผัดไทย), hints at possible Chinese origins. Kway Teow (ก๋วยเตี๋ยว) in Chinese, refers to rice noodles.
It is likely that some early version of the dish came to Thailand with settlers crossing from southern China who brought their own recipe for fried rice noodles. Certainly the cooking style— stir-frying—is Chinese, and most food historians credit the Chinese with the invention of noodles. The cooked meats and vegetables in Pad Thai resemble dishes prepared by the Cantonese and Tae Chiew (Chao Zhou in Mandarin) from China’s eastern Guangdong province. Nevertheless, the flavors and textures are pure Thai.
If the Chinese migration theory holds, Thai ancestors may be the Chinese T’ai (phonetically, “Dai”) people who migrated from southwest China in what is now the Yunnan province. In fact, today’s Thai can find many similarities in language, dress, and cooking with the Chinese T’ai.
On the other hand, there are some who believe that Pad Thai was introduced by Vietnamese traders who came to visit the ancient capital city of Ayutthaya. In Vietnam, there is a similar dish called “phở xào” or “bánh phở xào sa tế,” meaning “stir-fried pho”.
Pad Thai was made popular in the late 1930s and 1940s by the Thai government as part of a campaign to promote Thai nationalism during World War II. The government also wanted to reduce domestic rice consumption, as the Thai economy was heavily dependant on rice exports.
To help increase the popularity of Pad Thai, the Thai government provided recipes and encouraged people to use wheeled carts to sell the dish. Soon, Pad Thai became a cheap and convenient meal.
References:
http://www.themorningnews.org/post/pad-thai
http://www.gastronomica.org/finding-pad-thai/
http://first2board.com/verygoodpoints/pad-thai/
Did you know that Pad Thai (ผัดไทย) did not come from Thailand?
Pad Thai is nothing more than a regular noodle dish, one that is not even native to Thailand. To understand the history of Pad Thai (ผัดไทย), you need to understand the meaning of the words. Thai (ไทย) – that’s obvious. Pad (ผัด) – means fried. There are however, countless Thai dishes with the word Pad in it.
The main ingredient in Pad Thai is rice noodles which are stir-fried. So, if you were to roughly translate Pad Thai, you’d have to say the dish is stir-fried noodles Thai style. The actual name of the dish, Kway Teow Pad Thai (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวผัดไทย), hints at possible Chinese origins. Kway Teow (ก๋วยเตี๋ยว) in Chinese, refers to rice noodles.
It is likely that some early version of the dish came to Thailand with settlers crossing from southern China who brought their own recipe for fried rice noodles. Certainly the cooking style— stir-frying—is Chinese, and most food historians credit the Chinese with the invention of noodles. The cooked meats and vegetables in Pad Thai resemble dishes prepared by the Cantonese and Tae Chiew (Chao Zhou in Mandarin) from China’s eastern Guangdong province. Nevertheless, the flavors and textures are pure Thai.
If the Chinese migration theory holds, Thai ancestors may be the Chinese T’ai (phonetically, “Dai”) people who migrated from southwest China in what is now the Yunnan province. In fact, today’s Thai can find many similarities in language, dress, and cooking with the Chinese T’ai.
On the other hand, there are some who believe that Pad Thai was introduced by Vietnamese traders who came to visit the ancient capital city of Ayutthaya. In Vietnam, there is a similar dish called “phở xào” or “bánh phở xào sa tế,” meaning “stir-fried pho”.
Pad Thai was made popular in the late 1930s and 1940s by the Thai government as part of a campaign to promote Thai nationalism during World War II. The government also wanted to reduce domestic rice consumption, as the Thai economy was heavily dependant on rice exports.
To help increase the popularity of Pad Thai, the Thai government provided recipes and encouraged people to use wheeled carts to sell the dish. Soon, Pad Thai became a cheap and convenient meal.
References:
http://www.themorningnews.org/post/pad-thai
http://www.gastronomica.org/finding-pad-thai/
http://first2board.com/verygoodpoints/pad-thai/
Learn how to be a Mermaid in Thailand!
Former Miss Germany International 2006, Katrin Felton and her husband moved to Phuket in 2011 to realise her life-long dream of becoming a mermaid – yes, you read that right. Now she runs a Mermaid Academy where she teaches others how to become real-life mermaids like herself.
What got you obsessed with mermaids?
It happened 20 years ago when I watched The Little Mermaid at the age of 5. I was so intrigued by the outfits and the way they moved underwater. Living in Germany, I wasn’t close to any body of water so it was hard for me. My father, who was a commander in the police, would never allow me to jump into a pool with a mermaid tail, so for a long time I couldn’t pursue my dream. After high school, I went into modelling then moved to Australia in 2010 and became a scuba instructor. I trained in free diving and practiced underwater modelling.
What makes you a mermaid?
I free dive in the ocean, and I’ve learned how to hold my breath under water for about 3 minutes. I am able to pose underwater and look attractive without a mask! It required a lot of practice but I can now open my eyes underwater without the salt water affecting me much. Once I could do that I got my first tail from the internet – and I knew I could be a real-life mermaid.
Do people think you’re crazy for opening a Mermaid Academy?
It’s silly. I get stupid looks from people. Even my husband; he supports me but even he says, “Honey you can’t become a mermaid.” I didn’t believe it either. I never thought 3 years ago I’d have my own academy or shop. But being an underwater model, it got people interested. They see my photos, videos or performances and contact me. The more people see me, the more people contact me saying, “I want to be a mermaid.” I’d like to share my skills and knowledge with girls from all over the world to make their dreams come true.
What makes a good mermaid?
You should be able to hold your breath underwater for a long period of time, look good underwater without a mask and also have rescue skills. I cannot emphasise that enough. Having your legs tied into a tail can be dangerous if you don’t know what to do in emergency situations. I train my girls to know the ocean. We are not just pretty girls who swim; we are ambassadors of the ocean. I teach them to be role models, to not use plastic bags or participate in shark finning or overfishing.
Run us through one of your workshops.
We have different workshops for children and adults. The Mini Mermaid Workshop is a fun presentation for kids, about the environment, the ocean and also playing in the pool. The Real Mermaid Workshop is a 2-day workshop for adults; I can only train those who can swim 200 meters without stopping. If you pass the qualifications, you can get a certificate and become either a bronze, silver or gold mermaid.
Do you have other mermaid friends?
Yes! There are other mermaids around the world. We know each other and keep in touch through Facebook. “Mermaiding” is growing. I attend a mermaid convention in Las Vegas and they even had an award for the best mermaid! I have an online shop where I sell tails and the bikini tops to a lot of people from different countries. I’m still waiting to meet a merman friend, though!
Reference – http://underwatermodel.info