Thai dishes in the UK

Satay (sate) is skewers of marinated chicken or pork grilled over charcoal, served with peanut sauce and a cucumber relish. Of Indonesian and Malay origin but a fixture of Thai menus, and one of the most popular UK starters. The test is the grilling and the peanut sauce.

Som tam is green papaya salad pounded with chilli, lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, tomato, long beans and peanuts. Fiery, sour and crunchy, the taste of north-eastern Thailand (Isaan) and a good test of whether a UK kitchen cooks Isaan food.

Thai fish cakes (tod mun pla) are springy, bouncy patties of pounded fish, red curry paste, long beans and lime leaf, deep-fried and served with a sweet cucumber relish. A popular Thai starter, they are distinctive for their bouncy texture and the aromatic curry-and-lime-leaf flavour, quite different from a Western fish cake.

Larb (laap) is a warm salad of minced meat tossed with lime, fish sauce, chilli, shallot, herbs and toasted ground rice, from north-eastern Thailand and Laos. Sharp, hot and herby, with the nutty crunch of the toasted rice, it is eaten with sticky rice and is one of the defining Isaan dishes.

Tom yum is a hot and sour Thai soup fragrant with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, chilli and lime, most often with prawns (tom yum goong). Sharp, spicy, aromatic and clean; one of the defining tastes of Thai food. Two styles: clear broth and creamy with roasted chilli paste.

Tom kha gai is a Thai coconut soup with chicken, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaf, mushroom and chilli, milder and creamier than tom yum. Sweet, sour, savoury and fragrant, it is the gentle coconut counterpart to tom yum's clear heat and a popular UK Thai starter.

Green curry (kaeng khiao wan) is a coconut curry from a paste of green chillies, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime and herbs, usually with chicken, aubergine and Thai basil. Fragrant, creamy and, done properly, quite hot. The most popular Thai curry in Britain, though the UK version is often milder and sweeter than the original.

Red curry (kaeng phet) is a coconut curry from a paste of dried red chillies, aromatic and rich, usually with chicken, beef or duck, bamboo shoots and Thai basil. It looks fiercer than green but is often milder, since dried red chillies bring colour and depth more than raw heat.

Massaman is a mild, rich curry of Muslim-Thai origin, warm with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin, made with beef or chicken, potato and peanuts. The gentlest Thai curry and a favourite for those who find green and red too hot. Deep, sweet-savoury and comforting.

Thai fried rice (khao pad) is jasmine rice stir-fried with egg, onion, tomato and prawn, chicken or crab, seasoned with fish sauce and served with lime, cucumber and chilli fish sauce. Lighter and less sweet than its Chinese cousin, and a reliable UK Thai order.

Panang is a thick, rich, mildly spiced Thai curry with peanuts and kaffir lime, drier and sweeter than red or green. Often made with beef or chicken, it clings to the meat rather than being soupy, and it is a good middle ground for those who want a curry with flavour and only gentle heat.

Pad thai is stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar, egg, prawns or chicken, bean sprouts, peanuts and lime. Thailand's most famous dish abroad and the default UK Thai order. The balance of sweet, sour and salty is the point; the good version tastes of tamarind, the bad one of ketchup and sugar.

Pad see ew is wide flat rice noodles stir-fried with dark soy, egg, Chinese broccoli and a choice of meat, smoky from a hot wok. A Thai-Chinese street staple, savoury and gently sweet rather than spicy, it is the comfort noodle of the Thai menu and a foil to the sharper pad thai.

Thai spring rolls (por pia tod) are crisp fried rolls of thin pastry around a glass-noodle and vegetable filling, a light and crunchy starter. Smaller and more delicate than the Chinese kind, they are usually vegetable-based and served with a sweet chilli dip. The fresh, unfried version wrapped in rice paper is a separate dish.

Mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang) is sweet glutinous rice steamed and dressed in coconut, served with slices of ripe mango and a coconut cream drizzle. Thailand's most loved dessert and a fixture of the UK Thai menu in mango season. Simple, fragrant and just sweet enough, it depends entirely on the mango being ripe.