The 10 Most Exotic Foods and Drinks to Taste in Thailand

A list of the most unusual foods and drinks in Thailand.  Try them on your next vacation.

Thailand is loaded with exotic fruits and great food, most of it spicy. Here are some of the most unusual foods and drinks that you won't find back home.

Chrysanthemum Drink เก็กฮวย (prounounced gekway)
My favorite drink in Thailand is made from crushed Chrysanthemum flowers. It's very sweet, yellow, and does a good job of quenching your thirst in the hot tropical sun. Careful, you'll find hundreds of bees around any vendor of this fabulous drink. After all, it is made daily from fresh flowers. There is also a less-popular red version made from bright red chrysanthemums that is more tart.

Papaya Salad
One of the healthy dishes in the world, papaya salad contains many ingredients, including peanuts, prawns, tomatoes and papaya. It's very spicy, and will make you sweat when eating it. Papaya salad is one of the most delicious dishes in Thailand, and healthy, so try it.

Fried and Grilled Bananas
There are over 40 varieties of bananas in Southeast Asia, ranging from giant bananas to small slender finger-like ones (my favorite). The larger kind can be found on street corners either fried, or heated and dipped in a warm coconut milk. I like t
he latter dessert, but the didn't care much for the friend bananas. Still, they're a big favorite of the Thais.

Durian Fruit
This giant fruit looks a bit like a spiny melon. It's split open, and you dig out fleshy, almost doughy, sections from the inside for eating. It tastes unusual, but good. However, it smells awful! It's a bit like the smell of locker room tennis shoes, or worse! Thais either hate it or love it, and I found the split to be about 70/30. While 70% of Thais hate the smell and taste, 30% of them worship this exotic fruit.

Tum Yum Goong Soup
With over 29 ingredients, this popular soup is a "must" to try in Thailand. It's extremely spicy, but well worth the pain. There is an aftertaste that lingers and pleases the palate. The main ingredients include giant prawns, basil leaves, chili's, and a variety of vegetables.  Don't shy away from the seafood either. It still has heads and eyes, but it's healthy and yummy.



Sticky Rice
This is a glutinous, clumpy sweet rice that is eaten with the fingers, usually together chicken. It's a common dish from Laos, Cambodia, the northeastern Esan provinces of Thailand. Yummy.

Grasshoppers and Crickets
Sauteed or deep fried, these are a delicacy in some of the rural areas of Thailand. 50 cents will get you a handful. I tasted them, and they're a bit crunchy, but really only have the flavor of the spices and deep fried breading on the outside. Grasshoppers get huge in Thailand, so some of these finger food creatures are quite big. I couldn't find any "city Thai" people who had ever eaten them; they seem to be just for the very remote rural towns.

Silk Worm Larvae
Silk worms are common in Southeast Asia, and plates of these larvae can be served with mushrooms and basil leaves, fried, cooked or uncooked. They are high in protein. Like the crickets, I found these at street vendors in the city but only the country people would eat them.

Local Spirits
Home-made whiskey is sold in the remote small towns, and you'll often find a scorpion or snake in the bottle. It's intended to provide more power to the spirited drink. I tried a shot of this local liquor and almost passed out; I think it burned a hole in my stomach.

Fresh Fish
This is nothing unusual or strange, but you will find fish just about everywhere in Thailand.  Don't be afraid to try it! Delicious and healthy.

Thai Ice Tea
Also called Cha Yen, or Chanomyen if mixed with milk, this is a rich dark red tea served with lots of ice. It's sweet and delicious with a unique taste. I've never found a good duplicate of this outside of Thailand, so enjoy it while you're there. Chanomyen can be bought at many street corners, markets or even in some restaurants in Thailand for about 75 cents to $1.25 and it's yummy.



Check out more food articles here on Thailand Travel Beat:  Foods & Drinks

Alot of fun foods exist in Thailand, exotic, spicy and healthy. Don't be shy... do try.