Pad Thai

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A closeup of Pad Thai

Pad Thai (or Phad Thai, Thai: ผัดไทย, IPA: [pad tʰai]???, "Thai style frying") is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce (Thai น้ำปลา), tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and cilantro. It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with the usual Thai condiments. In Thailand, it is also served with a piece of banana flower.

There have evolved two different styles of Pad Thai: the version most often found in the streets of Thailand, which is relatively dry and light; and the version that seems dominant in many restaurants in the West, which may be covered in a red oil and can be heavy tasting.

This dish was introduced and made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was Prime Minister during World War II, partly for his nationalism campaign, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand at a time when the government faced a major budget crisis.^{[verification needed]} He was helped in this regard by the famous aristocrat, Prapavee Kunuchit.^{[verification needed]}

Outside of Thailand, Pad Thai is one of the best-known Thai dishes, and is very popular in Thai restaurants.