China’s Influence on the World of Food.
Pad See Ew is a Thai noodle dish that’s locally as popular and loved as Pad Thai. You can find it among street food vendors and in Thai restaurants around the country. Learn about this Chinese-influenced dish, how it came to Thailand, and what makes it so delicious:
Pad See Ew History & Why It’s So Delicious
The Origins of Pad See Ew
Like many recipes around Southeast Asia, Pad See Ew’s origin started in China. The Teochew people emigrated from the Guangdong province in Southern China to Bangkok and brought along their noodle stir-frying technique.
Chinese immigrants also took this technique to Malaysia and Singapore where they inspired the noodle dish, char kway teow.
Pad see ew can be likened to the Cantonese chow fun with its fat, flat noodles, and soy sauce-based sauce. In fact, the name pad see ew means “fried with soy sauce.”
And while the dish has Chinese origins, the Thais adapted the dish to their local palate and made it a staple in Thai cuisine.
It’s all in the Ingredients and Cooking Technique
Pad see ew is essentially a stir-fried noodle dish. It’s the combination of the flavors and ingredients as well as the cooking technique that makes this a standout.
The recipe combines both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce along with garlic, Chinese broccoli, egg, tofu, and thick rice noodles. The dish often includes a choice of a thinly sliced protein, like beef, chicken, or shrimp.
The ingredients alone are already delicious. Then, there’s the chewy texture of the noodle that’s not often found outside of Asia. The texture has an extra cuddly bounce in every bite.
And, of course, the taste of the noodles shines boldly from the high heat in which the dish was cooked. It’s this high temperature that’s the key for this fast, hot cooking dish to leave a roasted taste that caramelizes in a delightful savory way.
While Pad Thai is the star of Thailand, Pad See Ew deserves as much attention and popularity because of its beautiful flavors and texture.
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