Come with me on a journey back to the 1930s, a time of unrest and conflict, when dictators ruled the land and people longed for a unifying force. Enter the Thai Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram, a man with a vision and a desire to bring his people together under one language and one food. But how did he achieve this monumental task, and what was the result?
To truly understand the genesis of this iconic dish, we must go back to a time when the world was consumed by conflict. The French and English armies had colonized most of Thailand's neighbors, while Japan had all but conquered China. In the midst of all this turmoil, Thai Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram faced an existential threat. Internally, the country was ethnically divided, and chaos ensued externally. But Phibun had a plan. He was determined to unify Thai people under one language and one food.
Phibun's version of nation-building included banning local languages and dialects and changing the country's name from Siam to Thailand. He knew that language alone would not be enough to unify his people. What was needed was a food that could bring them together. At the time, Thai people preferred rice over noodles despite the rice shortage during WW2. Rice noodles presented a great alternative, as they are made from rice flour and other ingredients for texture and appearance.
Phibun's cook stir-fried the rice noodles first and added Thai herbs and spices, which made it the perfect dish. It all made sense, except for one little problem. At a time of heightened conflict, Thai people didn't want to eat what they perceived as Chinese food.
Phibun's obsession with “Thai-ness” had a simple solution for this: name the dish Pad Thai (translation: Thai noodles). And so, the Pad Thai was born. But Phibun did not stop there. He ran a national campaign with the catchy slogan “Noodle is Your Lunch” to create buzz and excitement around it. The campaign included giving out free lunch, which helped to spread the word about this delicious new dish.
It's not unusual for militaries to get involved with food, driven by the need to provide nutrition to troops and/or the population. What is perhaps unique here is that the real inventor of the dish is an unsung hero who was a maid for Thailand's longest-serving Prime Minister. She is the one who created the dish, and it was her skill and expertise that made it so popular.
So, the next time you enjoy a plate of Pad Thai, remember the unsung hero who created this delicious dish. And, most importantly, remember that Noodles is Your Lunch!