With everyday encounters, a foreigner in Bangkok may think that meeting people of other nationalities is a new phenomenon for Thai people. It is not at all the case.
The first Europeans, namely Portuguese, arrived in the 16th century from Malacca, Malaysia. They established friendly relationships with King Narai in Ayutthaya, built their settlement, traded goods and weapons, and introduced effective military techniques to the people of Siam.
The early explorers brought vegetables and fruits from other expeditions in South America and India. Among the richness of these were chilis, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, papaya, pineapple, cashew nuts, and more.
Later on, due to the smooth integration into Siamese society and their influence at the royal courts, the Portuguese helped fight in the wars by supplying weaponry and administrative skills. When Krung Thon Buri became the capital – yes, this side of the Chao Phraya River was once more important than today’s CBD, which was still marshland and orchards at the time – the Portuguese built the enclave Kudichin right on the riverbank, complete with Santa Cruz, a Catholic church built by an Italian architect.
They didn’t just live apart but impacted Thai life by adding new ingredients to Thai cuisine. Legend has it that Maria Guyomar de Pinha, better known as Thao Thong Kip Ma, cooked at the royal court and experimented with and adapted dishes to Thai taste buds and the European palate. The results are some of the most delicious Thai desserts we enjoy today.
The cook’s influence reached much further than desserts. She introduced the yummy curry puffs and various spices. Mixing up the Thai diet, Thao Thong Kip Ma sprinkled the food with chilies that originally came from Mexico. First, the royals and, later, the ordinary Thai men and women took to chilies like fish to water.
If you ever suffered through the most delicious green papaya salad loaded with spicy chilies from hell (now homegrown in Thailand), you know who to thank. It’s not the Thai people getting back at you for invading the beautiful Land of Smiles, but the Portuguese and European heritage of an ingenious cook.
The Portuguese village is close to Memorial Bridge and the Sky Park.
#Thailand #Siam #ChaoPhrayaRiver #Chili #KrungThonBuri #Kudichin #Portugal #ThaiDessert #Papayasalad #ThaiFood #ThaoThongKipMa #MariaGuyomardePinha
Photo credit: chilies from Pixabay
chao phraya princess 
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