The Science of Thai Food: Recipes for Must-try Thai

In science, some questions simply have no good answers. What’s on the other side of a black hole? We’ll probably never know. Do the Einsteinian laws of physics prevail throughout the universe? Your guess is as good as Albert’s. Are we approaching the singularity? Ask ChatGPT.

But there is something that is almost an absolute given, in science and beyond: The world’s favorite cuisine is Thai food.

Travel anywhere in the world, and you’re likely not far from a Thai restaurant. From Paris, France to Paris, Texas, your love for pad Thai, yellow curry or tom kha gai will never be unrequited.

Canadian microbiologist Hamza Mbareche discovered Thai cuisine long ago, growing up in Morocco. These days he’s an acknowledged expert on such highly refined academic disciplines as aerosol particulates, airborne pathogens, genomics and the microbiome, but he is equally as proud of his mastery of cooking great Thai food.

Here, Hamza Mbareche reveals two of his most unforgettable recipes:

Hamza Mbareche’s Tom Yum Soup:

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 lemongrass stalks, sliced
• 3-4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 inch piece of galangal or ginger, sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 red chili peppers, sliced
• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a large pot, bring the chicken or vegetable broth to a boil.

Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal or ginger, minced garlic, and sliced chili peppers to the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the flavors have infused into the broth.

Add the sliced mushrooms to the soup and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Add the shrimp to the soup and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are pink and cooked through.

Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro.

Hamza Mbareche’s Thai Pineapple Fried Rice: 

Ingredients

• 1 fresh pineapple, halved and hollowed out
• 3 cups cooked white rice, preferably leftover and cooled
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup roasted cashews
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the red and green bell peppers, carrot, and peas to the skillet and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Stir in the cooked rice, cashews, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, curry powder, and ground ginger. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Push the rice mixture to one side of the skillet and add the beaten eggs to the other side. Cook the eggs until set, then stir them into the rice mixture.

Scoop the fried rice into the hollowed out pineapple halves, dividing it evenly between the two halves.

Garnish the pineapple fried rice with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

Serve hot and enjoy!

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