Pad Thai

Pad Thai is Thailand's signature stir-fry: flat rice noodles tossed at high heat with egg, firm tofu, dried shrimp or fresh prawns, garlic chives and bean sprouts, bound in a sauce that balances sweet palm sugar, sour tamarind and salty fish sauce. It is finished with crushed peanuts, chilli flakes and a squeeze of lime.

The magic is in the wok: hot, fast cooking that keeps the noodles springy and just slightly smoky.

Pad Thai is surprisingly modern. It was promoted nationally in the late 1930s and 1940s under Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram as part of a campaign to forge national identity, reduce rice consumption and popularise noodles — recipes were even distributed by the government.

Rooted in earlier Chinese stir-fried noodle techniques but seasoned with distinctly Thai flavours, it quickly became a beloved street-food staple and, today, the most internationally recognised Thai dish of all.