Is There Really Alcohol In Thai Drunken Noodles?

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From coq au vin to penne alla vodka, there are all kinds of dishes that get their names from the inclusion of alcohol. So if you don't want to have alcohol for any reason, it's fairly clear what to stay clear of. If you're browsing a menu of the best Thai dishes, you might think this is the case with drunken noodles. But despite the name, this dish doesn't contain any alcohol at all. The exact recipe will depend on where you are, but it's generally stir-fried wide rice noodles with chicken, mixed vegetables, Thai basil, and chili in a savory sauce.

So why are they called drunken noodles? The Thai name is pad kee mao, which can be more literally translated to drunkard's stir fry. One of the most popular ideas is that it's a dish that's served to drunk customers as a way of sobering them up after a night on the town. Some less generous folks say that you need to be drunk to enjoy the noodles, while others stand by it as a hangover cure. One story tells that a woman was tired of her husband's drunkenness and created an extra spicy dish as a way of punishing him. Regardless of how it came about, the drunken part of the equation seems to be the diner, and not the noodles themselves.

Pinning down an exact recipe for Thai drunken noodles is complicated, as every chef from the night markets of Thailand to a restaurant in the U.S. will have their own recipe. The upside of this is that it can be adjusted to your taste or what ingredients you have.

Given the name, you might be surprised to learn that the noodles were not traditionally part of the dish; pad kee mao was a stir-fry to be served with rice. In the West, the dish is always served with noodles, but if you're traveling through Thailand, you'll need to specify which version you want.

If you are using noodles, they should be wide and flat, like these Roland Foods wide rice noodles. Chicken is a popular choice for meat, but you can use pork, shrimp, or even tofu for a vegetarian version. The vegetables you use are also at your discretion, but snake beans, baby corn, young green peppercorns, and carrots will fit right in.

The key elements that everyone seems to agree on are garlic, Thai basil or holy basil, and plenty of chili. The final addition is the sauce, which is often a mix of soy sauce, fish sauce, and/or oyster sauce, and sugar. While Thai drunken noodles are meant to be very spicy, taste as you go when cooking at home. Build the heat slowly to ensure you have a dish you can enjoy without the need to be drunk.