The Strangely Authoritarian History of Pad Thai

The origins of this ubiquitously loved Thai national dish just might surprise you.

There are many associations that come to mind when we think of Thai food: bold, rich flavours. Bright, garish colours. Fragrant, even pungent aromas and herbs, not to mention intense levels of spice.

Rarely if ever are we put in mind of eccentric dictators and calculated initiatives for the advancement of the Thai national interest, but that is exactly what Pad Thai was born of.

Being as synonymous with Thai food as it is, most would presume that Pad Thai is a dish deeply rooted in ancient tradition.

It may be called a tradition now, but it is not an ancient one. In actual fact, it was the brainchild of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, or Marshal P. as he was known locally (and as we shall now refer to him in the interests of conserving my word count.)

The man who created Pad Thai

Marshal P. led the country out of absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy by way of a military coup, as you might guess by his profession. He was greatly influenced by the ideas of the growing fascist movement at the time, drawing particular inspiration from a little known historical figure by the name of Benito Mussolini, the brutal leader of fascist Italy.

Marshal P. felt that Siam, or Thailand as it would officially become known under his rule, had all the necessary criteria to become the dominant power in Asia, if only they could sort out a few key problems.

The problem with rice

These mostly had to do with forming a sense of unity and solidarity that would reflect their status as a new country, and prescribed requirements for citizens such as which common language they should speak, how they should dress, all the way down to how much and how often they should sleep and eat.

A major problem facing the new Thai nation was that their diet consisted mainly of rice, in the form of the unprocessed grain. In a year of favourable weather, this was not an issue. But if there was a particularly wet season in which the rice paddies would flood, there would be widespread starvation, as unprocessed rice did not store well.

Rice noodles to the rescue

Processed rice, on the other hand, in the form of noodles, could store for three or four times as long and feed the country through these bouts of adverse weather. To Marshal P., the solution was clear: the Thai people must break their dependence on rice and switch to noodles in order to strengthen their independence as a nation. The decree was made, and by the early 1930’s, Pad Thai had officially become the national dish of Thailand.

Pad Thai, as we know it

As for how the actual recipe we now know and love was created, that remains the topic of some speculation.

As the dish was exported out of Thailand into the Western world (a detailed story for another time) certain additions were made to what was originally an intentionally humble dish.

Egg was the traditional and affordable protein of the day, but with time and place more luxurious options like prawn or chicken became plausible, to the extent that we now consider them standard.

Most of the flavours that most clearly distinguish Pad Thai come from ingredients that are inarguably traditional; salt and umami from shrimp paste and fish sauce, the unmistakable tang of tamarind paste.

Some theories state that the now official recipe was simply the style of noodles that Marshal P.’s maid happened to prepare as a household favourite at the time. A more likely explanation is that it was probably a direct adaptation of the food that the street hawkers of Bangkok were serving, who were often themselves of Chinese origin.

If this is true, then we are left with the realization that the dish our mind almost immediately goes to when we think of quintessential Thai food is in itself already a fusion of diverse food cultures that we are all the richer for. And also, that sometimes even slightly mad despots can give something culinarily beautiful to the world.

As it happens, Australia has more Thai restaurants per capita than any other country other than Thailand. In case you didn’t know of any, we’ve got plenty on EatClub but we also thought we’d curate a few for you below. Also, what better way to celebrate Thai National Day than dining out at a Thai restaurant?

Melbourne: Blossom Thai, Fat Boy Thai Kitchen, Smile Thai

Sydney: Aree Thai Twist, Nung Len

Adelaide: Rue de Siam, Angel Thai, Indochine Thai Restaurant, Five Feet Street Eats

Brisbane: Malee Made in Thailand, Kab Kao Thai, Gala Thai

But remember, there are plenty more in the app so check it out!

Words by Tomas Kanas