Thai food is one of the most widely-celebrated cuisines in the world, and for good reason. Thai dishes are notable for their complexity, almost always combining sweet, salty, sour, bitter and hot flavors into the same dish. Unique ingredients such as tamarind, fish sauce, and lemongrass make this delicate dance possible, but perhaps the best known curveball in Thai cooking is the humble nut. Whether it’s the peanut sauce featured in the national dish of Pad Thai, or stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts, the legume often finds its way into a variety of Thai dishes, and it’s hard to imagine cuisine without it!

It’s pretty interesting to see how a remote Thai neighborhood produces cashew nuts at a medium scale year round, and it actually reminds us a bit of our own “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” tradition. A little tastier, though.