Have you eaten?

“Gin kaow yung?” A greeting that is the British equivalent of, “How are you?” A greeting that I have grown up hearing wherever I go, whether it is visiting my parents, grandparents, aunties, friends or even people I've just met.

Gin kaow yung literally translates to, “have you eaten rice yet?” Since rice is a major staple food in Thailand and eating is a significant part of Thai lifestyle, overtime the simple greeting of, “how are you,” has transitioned to, “have you eaten yet?’

To say that food is a big part of Thai culture is an understatement, like many other cultures, food has infiltrated every aspect of a Thai lifestyle. On every road there are food stalls with an array of food choices, ranging from fresh fruits to grilled pork and sticky rice. Alongside the abundant restaurants, various malls with their food courts and even the local seven eleven selling steamed buns and dumplings, one could spend their whole life in Thailand without having to cook.