Thailand

Thailand's beloved stir-fried rice noodles: sweet, sour and salty, with shrimp, egg, tofu, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. Ingredients: rice noodles, shrimp, firm tofu, eggs, garlic chives, bean sprouts, fish sauce, tamarind paste, sugar, lime, crushed peanuts, dried shrimp, oil. Recipe: 1) Soak noodles until pliable. 2) Stir-fry garlic, tofu and shrimp. 3) Push aside, scramble eggs. 4) Add noodles and sauce (fish sauce, tamarind, sugar); toss until glossy. 5) Fold in sprouts and chives. Serve: with lime wedges, peanuts, chili flakes and extra sprouts. History: promoted in the 1930s-40s as a national dish during a rice-noodle campaign; today it is Thailand's most famous plate abroad.

The hot-and-sour prawn soup that defines Thai flavor: lemongrass, galangal, lime leaf, chili and lime in a fragrant, fiery broth. Ingredients: prawns, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, Thai chiles, mushrooms, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chicken stock, cilantro. Recipe: 1) Bruise lemongrass and galangal; simmer in stock with lime leaves. 2) Add mushrooms and chiles. 3) Add prawns; cook just until pink. 4) Season off the heat with fish sauce, lime juice and a pinch of sugar. Serve: steaming, with jasmine rice. History: a central-Thai classic whose name means 'boiled mixed' (tom yum) with prawns (goong); its balance of four flavors is the Thai ideal.

A fragrant emerald curry of coconut milk, green chili paste, chicken, Thai eggplant and sweet basil. Ingredients: chicken, coconut milk, green curry paste, Thai eggplant, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce, sugar, bamboo shoots. Recipe: 1) Crack coconut cream in a wok until it splits. 2) Fry the paste until fragrant. 3) Add chicken and remaining coconut milk; simmer. 4) Add eggplant and bamboo; cook until tender. 5) Season with fish sauce and sugar; finish with basil and lime leaf. Serve: with jasmine rice. History: a royal-court curry from central Thailand, named for its sweet green color (keow wan means 'sweet green').