Thailand’s much-loved Phat Kraphao meal, sometimes spelt as Pad Grapao, has now made it to the top of the “Best Stir-Fries in the World 2023” list released by TasteAtlas.com on Saturday.

The Thai dish was given a score of 4.8, with South Korea’s Dak Galbi coming in a close second with 4.7 and Ethiopia’s Tibs third with a 4.6 score.

“Pad” means “fried” and “Kra Pao” is the Thai name of Holy basil that is one of the main ingredients. Pad Kra Pao can be cooked with chicken, pork, beef, seafood, tofu, or whatever you want. It is served with rice. You can order a fried egg (Khai Dao) on top too.1 Aug 2023

The website, which features recipes and food reviews from critics across the world, also said that Phat Kraphao is the fourth most common dish ordered by foreigners in Thailand.

“This traditional Thai stir-fry combines minced meat or seafood with holy basil [kraphao] and various other ingredients such as shallots, garlic and chilli peppers.

“The dish is flavoured with soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce and typically comes served with rice, fried egg and fish sauce on the side,” the TasteAtlas.com description read.

Other Thai dishes to make the list are Pad Thai ranked eighth, Phat Si-Ew (stir-fried noodles with dark soy sauce) 19th, Khua Kling (stir-fried meat in red curry paste) 23rd and stir-fried chicken with cashews 44th.

Thai netizens however questioned the accuracy of the ranking, which placed Pad Kee Mao in the 20th place as a dish from Laos.

Pad Kee Mao, also known as drunken noodles, is a Thai stir-fried noodle dish similar to Phat Si-Ew, but spicier. It receives this name as its spiciness goes well with alcohol and is therefore often ordered as a side dish when alcohol is served.

For the record, Malaysia’s ‘nasi goreng kampung’, a local delicacy enjoyed by all Malaysians, was placed 46th in the list.

Nasi goreng is often referred to as the Indonesian version of fried rice. Although it is considered to be the national dish of Indonesia, it is also commonly eaten in Malaysia and Singapore.

It is believed that the tradition of frying rice in Indonesia came from the Chinese culture, when the trade between the two countries started to develop.

Indonesians adopted the Chinese tradition based on the belief that it is sinful to waste food, and soon, like many other versions of fried rice, nasi goreng was created.

Since it was developed out of a practical need, it is usually eaten for breakfast and made with leftover rice from the previous day.

Precooked rice is usually fried in a small amount of oil, then spiced up with shallots, garlic, chili, or ginger. Indonesian fried rice is distinguished by the generous use of sweet soy sauce, and because of that, it has a deeper and spicier flavor than other varieties of fried rice.

Nasi goreng is commonly served with eggs. Usually, they are mixed in the rice or fried and served on the side. – The Nation Thailand/ANN/TasteAtlas