There’s a misconception that Thai food is just a colorful name for "spicy Chinese." The cuisine was indeed influenced originally by the Eastern culture, adopting its tendencies of blending the contrasting tastes of sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It was also affected dramatically by neighboring India and Burma. Now Thai food is a unique and distinct cuisine, reflecting a history of Thailand as the only country in Southeast Asia never to have been colonized by a Western power!

Thai cooking is one of the most intricate in the world. Its goal is a subtle balance between tastes and textures with great emphasis on presentation and color. Wilasinee ("Wila") Vareevanich, owner of Boa Thong Thai Restaurant in Penticton, BC, believes it to be one of the healthiest because of the spices.

"A lot of the spice that we use is very good for the blood," she says.

Raw foods in Thai cuisine supply valuable nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables, protein and nutrients from organically-grown tofu and added benefits from a diversity of special herbs. Each is excellent for supporting various aspects of health, such as the immune system, circulation and digestion.

Here are some of Thailand’s most common herbs and their health benefits:

• Alteratives cleanse and purify the blood and tend to restore normal health: cilantro, coriander, garlic and turmeric.
  
• Stimulants increase internal heat and strengthen metabolism and circulation: cardamom, cloves, garlic, ginger, galangal (relative of ginger), tamarind and tumeric.
  
• Expectorants promote discharge of mucus and phlegm from the throat and lungs: cardamom, cloves, garlic, ginger and kaffir lime leaves.
  
• Carminatives relieve intestinal gas and pain and encourage muscle contractions: cilantro, cardamom, coriander, cloves, garlic and lime leaves.
  
• Diuretics support kidney and bladder function while increasing urination: cilantro, coriander and lemon grass.