''Pad see ew'' (''phat si-io'' or ''pad siew'', th, ผัดซีอิ๊ว, , ) is a stir-fried

noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, In ...

dish that is commonly eaten in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. It can be found easily among street food vendors and is also quite popular in Thai restaurants around the world. The origins of the dish can be traced to China from where the noodle stir-frying technique was brought. The dish is prepared in a wok which allows the black soy sauce added at the end of the cooking process to stick to the noodles for an exaggerated caramelizing and charring effect. The dish may look a little burnt, but the charred smoky flavor is the defining feature of the dish. The name of the dish translates to "fried with soy sauce". Variations of the dish can be found in other countries as well. It is very similar to the ''

char kway teow ''Char kway teow'' () is a stir-fried rice noodle dish from Maritime Southeast Asia and is of southern Chinese origin. In Hokkien and Teochew, ''char'' means 'stir-fried' and ''kway teow'' refers to flat rice noodles. It is made from flat r ...

'' of

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

and Singapore and to Cantonese ''chow fun.'' It is also similar to '' rat na'' (in Thai) or '' lard na'' (in Laos). The difference is that ''pad see ew'' is normally stir-fried dry and made with beef, while the aforementioned dishes are served in a thickened sauce and generally have a lighter taste. ''Pad see ew'' is made with light soy sauce (''si-io khao'', similar to the regular soy sauce),

dark soy sauce In Chinese cuisine, dark soy sauce () is a dark-coloured soy sauce used mainly for adding colour and flavour to dishes. It is richer, slightly thicker, and less salty than other types of soy sauce. As the Chinese name () suggests, it is also ag ...

(''si-io dam'', having a more syrupy consistency), garlic, broad rice noodles called ''kuaitiao sen yai'' in Thai,

Chinese broccoli Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, Chinese kale, or jie lan (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''alboglabra'') is a leaf vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to (but much smaller than) broccoli. ...

, egg, and tofu or some form of thinly sliced meat – commonly pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or mixed seafood. It is generally garnished with ground white pepper. ''Pad see ew'' is sometimes also called ''kuaitiao phat si-io'', which reflects the general practice of using fresh flat rice noodle as the main ingredient. However, thin rice noodles may also be used, for which it is called ''sen mi phat si-io''. Egg noodles are also used in

Southern Thailand Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounde ...

, for which it is called ''mi lueang phat si-io'' (''mi lueang'' meaning "yellow noodle").

References

Thai noodle dishes Fried noodles {{Thai-cuisine-stub

See also

References