Pad Thai gained prominence when rice was in short supply after the second world war when noodle production and its use was ramped up to meet the needs of a hungry nation.
Into the noodles is stirred tofu, shrimps, tamarind paste, garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanuts and of course, chillis. A handful of bean sprouts are thrown in to finish it off. Sometimes different meats are stirred in and it's traditionally served on a banana leaf and garnished with a bit of banana tree. Not sure which bit as I don't eat that part. Then of course there is a side table where you can make your own adjustments with extra chilli, sugar, salt and peanuts. Squeeze on the fresh lime to taste!
Although its become a bit of a cliche amongst tourists, especially the backpacking fraternity, it is still genuinely sold to and eaten by locals and around me I have a choice of about six Pad Thai shops in a very small area to choose from. This is where we ate last night and currently my favourite.
Personally I dump the shrimps and tofu and throw in extra bean shoots, chilli and peanuts to suit my unrefined palate! I could actually eat this every day and a snip at 35 baht ( £0.80, $1.00). Delicious. Or arroy mak as I would say if I could speak Thai!
Boring PS: Like HP sauce? One of the main ingredients is Tamarind paste.
