One area of exploration you could never avoid, even if you tried, is that of exotic culinary experiences — trying out new foods which are prepared traditionally, especially if your travels do indeed lead you to an exotic place, like Thailand’s Koh Chang island.

Those with particularly weak stomachs and go by the motto “If it tastes like chicken, then give me chicken” aren’t entirely at a loss though, since a lot of travel destinations have wised up to the fact that a lot of people who frequent those destinations are in fact tourists, so there will always but always be an escape to familiarity not too far off from wherever you may be based for that period.

If you are visiting the Thai island of Koh Chang, for instance, as much as you will have ample opportunity to dip your taste buds into a plethora of exotic local Thai dishes, you will have equal opportunity to get a real taste of some of the cuisines from all over the world, including Central and North America, South America and even Africa, in addition to the main offerings that are inclined towards native Asian dishes and there is also a very strong presence of European cuisine as well.

Such restaurants that offer a fair bit of familiarity include the likes of the Chill Restaurant as well as the Rock Sand Terrace Restaurant (situated on White Sand Beach).

Traditional Thai Cuisine

As far as dipping into the local Thai cuisine goes, Koh Chang offers a number of authentic Thai dishes which do very well to give the tourist area its deserved amount of exoticness.

Thai dishes are not exactly what you would call out of the ordinary and there probably won’t be any new or strange things you will be subjected to eating, since Thai food has a heavy emphasis on fish and sea food in general.

An authentic Thai culinary experience, in the form of a lunch or dinner (which are the two meals that probably encompass all the elements of Thai cooking), will take your taste buds on an adventurous journey, with emphasis placed mainly on how the food tastes as opposed to the portions, although the collective portions add up to a very filling meal, generally, so there should be no fear of leaving the dinner table hungry.

If your Thai dining experience has taken your taste buds for a ride that includes taste sensations that are sweet, sour, salty and even bitter, you have had the real Thai culinary experience as the authentic Thai chefs intentionally prepare their food to encompass serious flavours, through the addition of herbs and spices that complement dishes which are made up of the likes of crab, fish, a range of salads and a lot of different dishes to dip into.

A typical Thai dish, as enjoyed on this island, to the tune of a seafood platter of prawns and baked potatoes for example, wouldn’t be as simple as that. The Thai way of preparing such a dish would firstly have an edge by way of the prawns having been freshly-caught (some local restaurants allow you to come along for the fishing boat ride) and then the dish would typically be lightly-prepared, with the prawns cooked just right so that the authentic taste of the sea is preserved.

Along with the avoidance of loss of natural flavour due to overcooking, Koh Chang chefs love to add a little bit of their signature into the mix, characterised by something that would bring out the flavour of the prawns, in the case of the prawn-and-baked-potato dish, with a blend of herbs and spices accompanied by a number of dips and the presentation would be professionalised with an arrangement of something like a tomato and lettuce salad, presented uniquely with a locally prepared salad dressing and even more seasoning.

Be prepared to have a number of dishes placed in front of you, with the distinct possibility of getting overwhelmed by the seemingly endless choices offered all over the island of Koh Chang, at dining spots like the Smiling Buddha Restaurant, The Souk Restaurant and even the curiously named Pink Restaurant, which is more for those who are constantly on the move.

What is important to remember, when enjoying dishes like garlic stir-fried prawns, green curry chicken or yellow curry beef, is that the aim is to experience intense flavour in your food and not just have a filling dinner that you go on to forget about a couple of hours after dessert and this makes for the ultimate Koh Chang dining experience of Thai cooking and Thai food.

However, if given the proper attention, forethought and preparation, diabetic cooking can not only become better tasting food than non-diabetic meals; but this is also a far, far healthier option to take. Here are some tips on how to make the best out of diabetic food.

1. Substitute. Substitute. Substitute. There is a long list of food that should not be part of a diabetic’s meal plan. Sugar is the most notorious of all. Fortunately, diabetics can substitute artificial sweeteners to use in drinks, in baking goodies and even in plain cooking preparations (like making marinades, etc.) This principle of substitution can also be used for the lot of foods that should not be part of diabetic cooking. For example, mayonnaise should be severely limited, but one can always substitute plain natural yogurt or balsamic vinegar for salad dressings. White bread can always be replaced with sugar free varieties, or better yet with whole grain varieties or breads that do not use leavening agents and sugar (i.e. sour dough and rye breads.)

2. Think fresh produce instead of packaged produce. Diabetic cooking would indeed entail the person to delve into some deep rooted culinary expertise – or at the very least, learn new ones. It should be noted that although this way of preparing often make recommendations for steamed, boiled and grilled foods, this does not mean that these are the only options allowed. The key here is to use as much natural ingredients as possible. Pre-packaged meals are all convenient, but when a diabetic person has to monitor calorie intake as well as sugar levels and slat levels, that convenience flies straight right out of the window. It would be best if the person prepares his or her own food since the ingredients can be carefully chosen and monitored in order to balance meals.

Again, the key here is to substitute natural ingredients for processed ingredients. Instead of buying the pre-marinated, ready to cook hamburger patties, why not make your own, using freshly ground meat, freshly chopped vegetables, freshly crushed pepper and sea salt. All these ingredients are natural and portions could be carefully monitored. Even marinades for grilled meat can all be made at home from fresh herbs and select spices.