Thai food a new Asian alternative

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    By Alecia Burningham

    Like it hot and spicy?

    Start drooling because Thai food will make those hungry taste buds sizzle.

    Though Chinese and Japanese restaurants seem to be on every other street corner, there are only a handful of Thai restaurants in the entire state of Utah. Thai food offers a unique flavor and style.

    Thai food is generally lighter than other Asian food because it relies more on spices for flavor rather than fat, said Nora Nyland, director of the BYU dietetic program.

    “Thai food uses hot peppers, lemongrass, lime and curry for flavor, which decreases the amount of fat in a dish,” she said. “There are lots of dishes, especially soups, that are delightful and fresh.”

    Stir-fry cooking, as opposed to deep fat frying, is the most common way Thai food is cooked. To stay away from fatty dishes, check the menu for ingredients or ask the waiter how the dish is cooked before ordering, Nyland said.

    “Beware of hot peppers,” she said. “Sometimes they”ll make it as hot as you can stand it.”

    Suvan Sitizong, 47, from Nongkhai, Thailand, owns a popular Thai restaurant in Provo. He orders some of his ingredients directly from Thailand.

    “Our food is a little bit spicy, but it is not oily like Chinese food,” he said.

    Dishes in his restaurant rely mostly on curry and pepper for flavor and include meats such as beef, pork, chicken and shrimp, he said.

    “It is a good place to eat when people get home from Thailand,” he said.

    SalliJune Andersen, 20, a junior from Centerville, Davis county, majoring in early childhood education, said she loves spicy food, especially Thai food.

    “It is so different from other types of food,” she said. “Each dish is so distinct in taste and I always feel so satisfied after I eat it.”

    Some Thai dishes require ingredients most Western kitchens are unfamiliar with, such as shallots, tamarind juice and galangal.

    Shanna Ghaznavi, 22, a BYU graduate from Kingston, Jamaica, said she enjoys cooking different types of food but said it is easier to go out to Thai restaurants, rather than cook it at home.

    “I would make it but it is hard to find the ingredients in Provo,” she said.

    Thai cooking classes are available through Utah Valley State College”s Community Education department, said Diana Hunter, Community Education program coordinator.

    Students can call 222-8012 to register for the class, which is taught in six hour-and-a-half sessions and costs $49.

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