In Thai cuisine, it is all about the balance of Sweet, Salty, Sour, Hot.

In Eastern medicine, it is believed that in balancing the diet, the flavors in the diet, one balances the body and mind. This is the goal of Thai food offerings.

Then there are the aromatics… essential Thai flavors. Garlic, Green Onion, Cilantro, and Ginger

Thai flavors:

• Salty: Soy sauce, liquid aminos, coconut aminos, fish sauce
• Sweet: Palm sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, and coconut milk
• Sour: Lime wedges, rice vinegar
• Hot: Sriracha, any hot chili sauce, white pepper

Add-Ins

When making a noodle dish or rice porridge, jars filled with condiments featuring each of these flavors, or a combination of them, are offered. Each diner can balance flavor according to their own need or taste.

Pictured: white pepper, sriracha, liquid aminos, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, pickled thai peppers, lime wedges.

Another flavorful and texturally pleasing addition is crispy garlic oil. This adds a welcome and surprising crunch to a rice porridge.

You can easily make your own pickled peppers as well. Just dice thai chili peppers and place them into a small jar. If you are not using gloves, please DO NOT rub your eyes! Be sure to wash up well after doing this. Next, add rice vinegar, or another vinegar if preferred, enough to cover the peppers. Cover and leave the vinegar peppers sitting at room temperature for a day or two. The flavors will meld.

Green onions and fresh ginger can be diced, sliced, or julienned, and served for a flavorful garnish.

My favorite way to serve cilantro is in a mug with cold water. Just place the whole bunch in there and allow people to pick off what they want. Then it goes right back in the fridge, mug and all.

How to Make Crispy Garlic Oil

Mince fresh garlic.

In a skillet, heat oil. You will need just enough to almost deep fry the bits of minced garlic. Keep the heat low so as to not burn your garlic. Add minced garlic to the skillet. Cook gently, stirring as needed, keeping it in an even layer in the bottom of the skillet.

Watch closely. This can go from undercooked to burned very quickly! Cook until garlic begins to brown.

Remove from heat. I like to strain out the garlic quickly to avoid having it continue to cook in hot oil. But keep your oil!

Once cooled, combine the two again.

Crispy Garlic Oil

Ingredients

• 2-3 heads of fresh garlic, peeled and minced
• cooking oil, as needed – canola for a neutral flavor, or coconut or peanut oil, if preferred

Method

In a skillet, heat oil. You will need just enough to almost deep fry the bits of minced garlic. Keep the heat low so as to not burn your garlic. Add minced garlic to the skillet. Cook gently, stirring as needed, keeping it in an even layer in the bottom of the skillet. Watch closely. This can go from undercooked to burned very quickly! Cook until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat. I like to strain out the garlic quickly to avoid having it continue to cook in hot oil. But keep youi oil! Once cooled, combine the two again.

Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator.

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