Taste for Thai boosts food exports

HARMONY of tastes and colors is the guiding principle behind Thai cusine

WITH almost half of the Thai restaurants outside Thailand found in the United States, there can be little doubt that Americans have a taste for Thai.

According to the Thai Ministry of Finance Export Promotion Department, the purchase of Thai foods for restaurants abroad earns the country around $450 million a year. An additional $28.4 million is brought in from ingredients, such as herbs, seasonings, and sauces, and from the sale of equipment to prepare Thai food.

New Yorkers, in particular, seem to love the freshness, range, and diversity of Thai cuisine, with its sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors—although those who like it hot should note that the ubiquitous chili was introduced to Thai cooking by the Portuguese in the 17th century.

The Thai food industry is the fifth largest in the world, and is vital to a country with a largely agricultural-based economy. Thailand is the world’s biggest exporter of rice, which generates $1.8 billion a year, followed by canned seafood ($1.6 billion), and shrimp ($1.2 billion).

The United States is Thailand’s second largest food export market after Japan.