Pad Thai was essentially invented by the government. In the late 1930s, Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram launched a campaign to create a national dish that would reduce rice consumption during a shortage and promote Thai identity. He standardized a stir-fried rice noodle recipe, promoted it through street vendors, and it stuck. What began as state propaganda became one of the most beloved dishes on earth. The irony is that pad Thai has Chinese roots — the noodles, the wok technique, and the stir-fry method all came from Chinese immigrants — but the tamarind-palm sugar-fish sauce trinity made it unmistakably Thai.

• 200g dried flat rice noodles, soaked in room temperature water for 30 minutes
• 200g shrimp, peeled (or firm tofu, cubed)
• 2 eggs
• 100g bean sprouts
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp
• 2 tbsp preserved radish (chai poh), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 spring onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Crushed roasted peanuts
• Lime wedges
• Chili flakes

1. Soak the rice noodles in room temperature water for 30 minutes until pliable but still firm. Drain well. Do not use hot water — they’ll turn to mush in the wok.
2. Mix the sauce: combine tamarind paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Heat oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add garlic, dried shrimp, and preserved radish. Stir for 30 seconds.
4. Add shrimp and cook until just pink. Push everything to one side. Crack eggs into the empty side, scramble roughly.
5. Add the drained noodles and pour the sauce over. Toss aggressively with tongs — every noodle needs to be coated. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
6. Add spring onions and half the bean sprouts. Toss for 30 seconds — they should wilt but not go limp.
7. Plate immediately. Top with crushed peanuts, remaining bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chili flakes. Squeeze the lime before eating — it ties everything together.