The Journey of Northern Thailand’s Most Popular Dish.
Ask any traveler who has been to Chiang Mai, what is the best dish? And they will most likely say Khao Soi. Learn about the khao soi history, how it arrived in Thailand, and why it’s so amazing:
Khao Soi History & It’s Journey to Thailand
From Yunnan to Thailand
The history of khao soi starts with Chinese Muslim traders from Yunnan, China. They journeyed to Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20 centuries passing through Burma (now Myanmar) and Laos before arriving in northern Thailand where the three countries connect along the Golden Triangle trading route.
With them, they brought their noodle culture from China and the coconut milk and spices picked up along the way in Burma. It is interesting and important to note that Burmese cuisine also has a coconut milk-based noodle soup that existed before khao soi, hence its influence.
What is Khao Soi?
Meaning, “cut rice”, khao soi was originally all about the noodle. The original recipe was made with glutinous rice flour noodles mixed with turmeric powder spread out on a cloth and stretched out over boiling water to made noodle sheets.
Then, a fibrous twine splint the noodles, as it was thought that knife-cut noodles were not as delicious. Today, the noodles, which are either rice noodles or egg noodles, are cut with scissors or machine-made.
It’s not just the noodles that make the dish a standout, there’s the spicy coconut soup, the chicken or beef as the protein, the crispy noodles on top, and all the condiments that bring life to the dish – chili pepper oil, pickled cabbage, fresh shallots, cilantro, and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.
All of this brings the dish to life with the sweet, salty, spicy, sour, bitter flavors and the contrast of textures and temperatures. It’s no wonder that with just one bite, khao soi is the most loved dish from northern Thailand.
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