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C onn ect i ng C u ltu r es T hrough F am i ly and F ood

A Brief Introduction to Thai Cuisine T hailand is a fairly small country—a bit smaller than the state of Texas—with a population of about 68million. But the nation has had an outsized influence on the world of food, and Thai cuisine is one of the most popular types anywhere. The unique flavors and aromas of Thai cuisine blend many different influences. A thousand years of cultural exchange between Thailand and India, its northwestern neighbor, resulted in curries becoming one of the most important categories of Thai dishes. Another vital cooking technique, stir-frying, was introduced to Thailand hundreds of years

Stir-frying is a part of much of Thai cuisine, whether on the street as shown here, or in restaurants and private kitchens.