Isan food is a top choice when you're unsure what to eat, often leading you to a som tam restaurant. However, many tend to order according to cravings, resulting in a table full of fried, oily dishes or overly salty flavors that strain the kidneys.
Thairath Online presents a class on ordering Isan food, organizing your table menu to achieve a balanced taste of sour, sweet, salty, and rich flavors that delight the palate and provide full nutrition your body will appreciate.
Start your taste buds with a well-balanced main som tam dish.
The heart of an Isan meal is som tam. The key is to let your choice of som tam set the flavor direction of the meal. Selecting som tam Thai or corn som tam yields a predominantly sweet and then sour profile. For hardcore fans who can't do without fermented fish, like som tam sua or som tam with crab and fermented fish, the main flavor becomes intensely salty and rich. Knowing the main dish's flavor helps you pick other dishes to balance or enhance the taste perfectly without overwhelming your palate.
Add protein with a focus on grilled or boiled dishes to avoid fried items and boost healthiness.
Once you have som tam, you need meat for satiety and complete nutrition. Aim for grilled or boiled dishes like skinless grilled chicken, salt-grilled fish, or lean stir-fried minced pork larb without fat. These options are high in protein and low in fat, controlling calories better than ordering fatty grilled pork neck or deep-fried pork belly with fish sauce. Besides supporting health, the toasted rice aroma in larb and the smoky scent from the grill enhance the meal's flavor complexity.
Sip hot soup to cut richness with herbal flavors.
A complete meal includes soup to aid digestion. If your main som tam is fermented fish with salty, rich flavor, balance it with spicy pork bone soup (tom saap) that is sharply sour and hot, effectively cleansing the palate and resetting taste buds. If the table has multiple bold-flavored dishes, consider ordering herbal stewed meat or mixed mushrooms. This stew is a healthful dish packed with green vegetables, local herbs, and naturally sweet broth, helping to balance the stomach well.
Manage carbohydrates with sticky rice and double fiber intake with fresh vegetable side dishes.
Finish by managing carbs and fiber intake. Sticky rice is an essential companion but should be eaten in moderation, about a handful, to avoid excessive starch and sugar. Focus on the basket of fresh vegetables or side greens provided by the restaurant, such as cabbage, yardlong beans, or holy basil leaves. Chewing fresh vegetables alongside spicy dishes adds dietary fiber, promotes longer satiety, and potassium in the vegetables helps flush excess sodium from the body.