Thai Basil is on the left and Holy Basil is on the right.
Are you just as confused as I’ve been about what’s Thai Basil versus Holy Basil? Don’t worry, these top 5 FAQs about Thai Basil vs Holy Basil will help you out!
We recently returned from six epic weeks of traveling Thailand, where Thai Hubby and I took our four half-Thai kids on a Thailand Heritage Tour from the northern mountains of Chiang Rai to the pristine beaches of the Similian Islands in the south!
As we traveled and devoured Thai meals all over Thailand with local Thai friends and Thai family, I can’t count the times I said, “Oh my goodness, this is soooo good!” as I closed my eyes in complete ecstasy over the intense Thai flavors I got to indulge in everyday.
As we did our tour of Thailand, I was reminded from my years of living and traveling in Thailand with local Thai family and Thai friends that if you really want to get good Thai food in Thailand that local Thais love, there are five best places you have to eat Thai food at while traveling in Thailand:
We were visiting our hip friends who live in Charleston, S.C., and walking around the local farmer’s market, hungry for Saturday brunch.
The smells of the fried food sizzling at the cluster of friendly food trailers were pulling us like a magnet to their windows. We ambled around looking at the chalkboard menus posted on the side of the trucks, and then I saw a menu item on a truck called Roti Rolls that made my eyes light up, and I started to drool immediately.
“Wakey Bakey: sunny egg, candied bacon, Thai pimento cheese, and roasted potato”. Thai pimento cheese”? What in the world was that and can I try it now please?!
Do you ever get stuck cooking the same meals every week? Even though there are millions of other things I could cook, my mind often goes on auto-pilot when doing our weekly menu plan, and I feel like I make the same 7 meals all the time. You feel me?
Let’s be honest. When I think of the average American soup, I think cozy, heart-warming, but sorta boring.
A bowl full of warmth, but usually not packed with varying flavors and textures, which is fine for those times when you are sick and just need warm sustenance.
But Thai soup is a different story and bland and boring are adjectives unheard of when describing Thai soup, or really Thai food!
“Wow! This is soooo good!!” My Thai Hubby mumbled out as he ravenously stuck another spoonful of the Thai sausage, with a spicy, zesty dipping sauce and jasmine rice in his mouth.
Its flavors of tangy kaffir lime leaf, spicy, heart-warming Thai red curry paste, and a hint of sweetness drew us in so much that each bite was like going to the cozy house of a welcoming host who makes you feel so part of the family you never want to leave.
Have you ever felt super intimidated to try making a Thai dish you adore? Like only magical Thai chefs have the superpowers to make it, so why even try?
Usually I’ll try making any Thai dish I’ve had in Thailand at home, but homemade Thai curry paste always seemed like one of those super intricate processes that only super hero Thai cooks create.
Walking down the street in Bangkok and just hearing the ploppity, plip, plat of Thai spring rolls frying up to golden perfection made my mouth water. I couldn’t resist buying a little baggy of them, and hearing that loud crunch after my first bite into their crispy layers as the tender steaming hot goodness of bean vermicelli noodles, shredded cabbage and ground pork flooded my mouth.
A potluck charcuterie hike to an epic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains where we feast on our spread and celebrate my friend’s birthday? Yes please! I was over the moon to attend. But I was stumped because I wanted to bring something Thai, but all the fancy cheeses, dried apricots, figs, salami, crackers, bread and such that are on a charcuterie are more European and rarely seen on a Thai table.
You are an ex-pat in Bangkok walking on a cluttered sidewalk under a night sky whose darkness is drowned out by the loud multitude of city lights.
Your eyes used to sparkle with wonder at the city life waking up right when you finished work, and you’d merrily jump into the melee, but now your eyes are glazed over from the stress fog of living in a culture that’s not one you grew up in, plus you’re feeling hangry angst.
