สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 155  many Americans to try Thai food. Since the method used in Thai restaurants was more of a stir-fry than deep-fry cooking, Thai food was perceived as lighter food or having less fat, as well as freshly-cooked food with vegetables. Also, since the respondents hardly saw overweight Thais in Thai restaurants, they assumed that Thai food was healthier. In conclusion, Thai food was best suited to the current health trend, but health was not the only deciding factor. Most respondents preferred varieties of fl avours and choices. Thai food is one of the few foods that seem to bridge many gaps. Bring people together. For example, I know very conservative people who don’t really like Chinese food, don’t really like Japanese food, but then for whatever reason they eat Thai food. Most respondents were unfamiliar with processed Thai food products since they did not cook Thai food and usually consumed at Thai restaurants. Thus, they did not recognize Thai ingredients. For example, they thought pictures of ingredients on food packages were just parts of decoration. Thai symbolism such as language, names, and designs were good representations of authenticity. The respondents did not recognize them as Thainess, but they were foreign or exotic enough to imply “Not American products”. Since Thai restaurants were the main sources of Thai food knowledge and interactions, consumers’ understanding, derived from what they learned in Thai restaurants, was sometimes inaccurate. Is that the curry with coconut and all that? I love that, but I didn’t know that was green. Is that green? What I got is more white? Due to its uniqueness and popularity among consumers and mass media, other ethnic restaurants utilised Thai cuisine. They offered Thai-style food, or their version of Thai food. Ratiwan Watanasin