In Thai cuisine, dipping sauces play an essential role and the sweet and sour cucumber relish is among the most beloved. Known in Thai as nam atjat (น้ำอาจาด), this refreshing sauce perfectly balances the rich flavours of fried dishes. Popular throughout Southeast Asia, it traditionally accompanies satays but also pairs beautifully with both fried and fresh spring rolls. Easy to make and incredibly versatile, it is one of the essentials of any Thai table.

Every year, on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month, rivers, lakes, and canals across Thailand glow with thousands of floating candles. This is Loy Krathong, one of the country’s most graceful and enduring traditions. The word loy means “to float,” while krathong refers to a small lotus-shaped raft traditionally made from banana trunk slices, decorated with leaves, flowers, incense sticks, and a candle.

This article is the sixth part of a series dedicated to Thailand’s culinary diversity. The country presents an exceptional mosaic of cuisines, each shaped by geography and history: the mountain-influenced cuisine of the North, the sticky rice and chilli-based dishes of the North-East (Isan), the refined and balanced dishes of the Central Plains, and the spice-laden coastal cuisine of the South.