Food exhibition brings Thai flavours to Amman

AMMAN —  Amman got a taste of Thai cuisine during a three-day food exhibition that brought previously unfamiliar flavours to the capital.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Amman organised the food festival in collaboration with Cozmo supermarket.

Held at the kitchen of the Seventh Circle supermarket between Thursday and Saturday, the event forms part of the Royal Thai Embassy’s endeavours to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships and cooperation with Jordanian businesses.

The “Tastes of Thailand” event introduced some of the most globally popular Thai dishes to the general public in Jordan. 

Varying greatly by region, Thai food is a flavourful mix of spices such as lemongrass, ginger, chilli, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, pepper and cumin, all combined in a variety of ways that easily cater to different dietary requirements, with vegetarian, meat and halal options, according to Thailand’s Ambassador to Jordan Supark Prongthura.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Amman’s resident chefs concocted all dishes at the exhibition. Originating from North, Central and Northeast Thailand, the chefs created and served menus that changed daily, preparing a range of foods local to their regions: 

Tom Yum Goong, a fragrant soup infused with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves; the world-famous Pad Thai, a stir-fried rice noodle dish incorporating sweet and savoury flavours; and the rich, midly-spicy beef Massaman curry, which combines ingredients from Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Malay Archipelago, along with local Thai flavours.

“This event is an important component of the on-going mission of the Royal Thai Embassy to advance and introduce the various aspects of the ‘Essence of Thailand’ to Jordanians by providing a series of opportunities for them to have glimpse into the authentic Thai experiences in many aspects, especially the ‘5Fs’ namely: Food, Film, Fashion, Festivals and Fight (Muay Thai) close to their homes,” according to the ambassador.

To Prongthura, the culture and history of Thailand is “brought to life” by these foods. The envoy was joined by ambassadors from the Australian, Hungarian, Indonesian and Brunei embassies in Amman, all of whom sampled the dishes at the event. 

“We want to say a lot through the food, and through the cuisine, about Thai people and about Thailand”, Prongthura said, adding that “when Jordanians taste it and they like it, maybe they will think about visiting my country”.