Whether in the most renowned restaurants or in hidden corners of the alleyways of Bangkok, pad thai became Thailand’s letter of introduction to the world. But despite the famous fame, the current concept of this iconic fried noodle dish is recent and the explanations of its origin mix myths and the country’s history.
With its mixture of ingredients and textures, as well as the balance between sweetness, acidity, salty and spicy, pad thai conquered the hearts of foodies inside and outside the Asian nation. What few know is that it is a contemporary dish that, in a matter of decades, has managed to officially appear among the words in the Oxford dictionary (2022), form a legion of enthusiasts around the globe and become a kind of comfort food. for the thai.
“I think that today we can say that pad thai is one of the traditional dishes of Thailand” and I think “so many people like it because it is a complex dish in flavor but easy to eat,” Nui, born and raised in Bangkok.
The exact origin of the most famous dish in Thailand is uncertain, but legend has it that it was intentionally created in the first half of the 20th century by the then president Phibun Songkhram, framed in a series of reforms with the aim of promoting and strengthening the image of the country internationally.
Another version ensures that the delicacy is the product of a gastronomic contest organized by the Government in order to create the authentic “Thai national dish”. However, there is no “historical evidence” to support these legends and the “story that Phibun is the inventor of pad thai is, in reality, a myth,” explains anthropologist Nattha Chuenwattana, an expert in food studies, in an interview with EFE. gastronomy and culture.
“What Phibun did was an effort to get people to start eating, producing and consuming more noodles in general, because he believed that they were something cheap and nutritious that would help make them healthier,” he says. This is because the ruler, who was in command of the country between 1938-1944 and 1948-1957, was responsible for a series of political, economic and customs reforms with the aim of “modernizing” Thailand and creating a national identity.
These reforms included a new Constitution and even the name change of the country itself, from Siam to Thailand. On the social front, Phibun encouraged an abrupt transformation in the Thai diet, in order to reduce dependence on rice and promote “healthier citizens” that would lead to a “stronger country”, Nattha points out.
Add to that the times of hardship that plagued Thailand in the early 1940s, plunged into a perfect storm that combined the impacts of World War II, one of the worst floods ever recorded and the consequent shortage of crops , including rice, the country’s flagship.
“The consumption of Kuay Tiew, which is noodles, was then encouraged, and today we cannot ignore the fact that they make up a very famous and popular dish that, in Thailand, has become a comfort food,” says the expert.
With the passage of time, the rest became history and the myth came true. “The myth was created and now people, and even Google, are saying that Phibun invented pad thai, which is clearly not true,” but “it’s too late now,” he adds with a laugh.
Although its origin remains unknown, what is certain is that pad thai has risen as Thailand’s showcase for the world with its peculiar mixture of tamarind sauce, tofu, lemon, dried prawns, eggs and sugar, accompanied by a crunchy helping of peanuts and bean sprouts.
“The combination is very funny, innovative and delicious. I often come to Thailand and, every time, I enjoy at least one pad thai a day,” South Korean Ye Chan Kang told EFE. At a considerably slower pace, the fried noodle dish has also found a place in the hearts of the Thai people, despite initial resistance – especially among the older generations – to considering it a national symbol of the country.
“I eat it very often because my grandmother used to prepare a lot of pad thai when I was a child and that brings back good memories,” Angun, 22, told EFE.
