10 Thai Snacks You Have To Get When You're In Bangkok
These are the tried and true Thai snacks to get in Bangkok, from uniquely flavoured chips to moreish tidbits perfect with an ice-cold beer
By guoxiongho -
Just a short flight away, Bangkok is the preferred destination for many Singaporeans looking for a quick getaway. Besides the smorgasbord of good food that lines the streets, there are many Thai snacks that present a whole perspective into the local food culture. These are easy to procure too, just head to any supermarket - Big C, Lotus's, and the like - and be greeted by many yummy Thai snacks. From uniquely flavoured chips to moreish tidbits to accompany your ice-cold beer, here are 10 Thai snacks you have to get when you're in Bangkok.
This bag of chips contains two flavours - grilled prawn and seafood sauce - which can be differentiated from its orange and green hues. Both flavours are precise and evident and the flavour is my top pick for a flavoured chip to try.
Broadly calling them squid snacks, this category of tidbits contains squid and can be baked, fried, slathered in chilli sauce and more. The result is an umami-rich snack perfect alone or with a glass of cold beer.
Lays' Hot Chilli Squid flavour is, in my opinion, an almost perfect recreation of its namesake taste. Either snack you pick will be difficult to put down after a single bite.
Imagine tom yum kung (or tom yum soup with prawns) in a chip form - this is it.
Mieng Kam (or miang kham) is a traditional Thai snack food or appetiser made with a series of herbs, dried shrimp, lime and nuts wrapped in a leaf and eaten in a bite. The resulting mix is a celebration of flavours that are representative of Thai food culture.
Made with puffed jasmine rice, rice crackers come in a myriad of flavours with toppings such as pork shrimp, dried shrimp, Thai chilli paste and more. Take your pick.
Somtum (or papaya salad) and grilled chicken (gai yang) is a classic Thai pairing. And that harmony is captured in these tapioca chips, which have a fluffy texture that won't stick to the teeth as potato chips do.
Crispy dried shrimp and rich cashew nuts coated in an addictive tom yum sauce. You could use it to jazz up a plain meal too. It also comes in a version with dried fish instead of shrimp.
Larb is a Northeastern (Isaan) Thai dish that's also highly loved in Laos. The salad is made with minced meat dressed with fresh herbs such as mint and shallots as well as toasted rice that imparts a lovely nutty note.
For those who want a healthier option, there are a plethora of flavoured nuts to pick from to make your beer snacks more interesting.