Thai it — you'll like it

Anyone who's experienced Thai cuisine knows it's just that — an experience. Thai food is technically Asian, but its lighter, sweeter and distinctly spicier taste sets it in a category all its own.

Thai food is all about color. From magenta cucumber sauce to green papaya salads to purple sticky rice, Thai meals present a rainbow array to tickle the taste buds.

Even the rice is colorful. Spanning the spectrum from jasmine white to reddish-brown to the sweeter, crunchier purple rice served with dessert, Thai rice is as bright as it is sticky. And is it ever sticky — back in Thailand, people roll it into a ball and eat it with their fingers, either dipped in sauces or surrounding meat dishes.

Thai food, with its colors and textures and even etiquette, is a child's dream come true. But the unique blend of sweet, spicy, sour and bitter flavors appeals to adult palates as well.

Keith Chan, owner of Monsoon Thai Bistro, 1615 Foothill Drive, says one of the best things about Thai food is its versatility.

Most Thai restaurants offer a scale of heat for their foods: mild, medium, hot, very hot and "putting your life in the chef's hands," Chan said.

"We have some people who come in and they're not happy if they're not sweating as they eat," he said. "They ask for the hottest thing on the menu, and it's still not hot enough sometimes."

But don't be fooled — Thai food is known for its heat. In fact, the heat scale may not be accurate for American tastes. Mild usually translates to medium, and so on.

At Thai Kitchen, 283 E. 300 South in Provo (the sign says Thai Pepper), manager Gulavadee Evans said true Thai food is much spicier than the versions her restaurant serves.

"When we make Thai food for Americans, we adapt to their tastes a little bit by making it more sweet and less spicy," Evans said.

But, she said, making the food milder helps hook customers and get them excited for hotter tastes. People get used to the heat with time, and those who've lived in Thailand even start to crave more spice.

"Once you've had authentic Thai food, you're addicted," Evans said. "You love it and you keep coming back and coming back and coming back for more."

At Thai Siam, 1435 S. State, manager Wit Phichiansoonthon said another unique trait of Thai food is the variety of herbs that go into each dish.