Dish · thai
Pad Thai
Rice noodles stir-fried hard and fast with egg, fish sauce, tamarind, and dried shrimp or tofu, finished with peanuts, bean sprouts, and lime. The result is sweet-sour with a strong savory pull from the fish sauce.
Where it comes from
Thai Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram promoted the dish in the late 1930s and 1940s as part of a campaign to build a national identity and cut rice consumption during a shortage by pushing noodles instead. It spread from that campaign into street food across the country.
What cooks argue about
Restaurants outside Thailand tend to oversweeten the balance of tamarind, fish sauce, and sugar. Cooks split on wok heat: high heat chars the noodles fast, a gentler pan steams them soft instead of frying them.
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