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Pad Thai

Name: Pad Thai
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 8 oz thin rice noodles; 1 lb shrimp; 3 eggs; 2 cups bean sprouts; 4 green onions, chopped; 4 oz firm tofu, cubed; 2 tbsp dried shrimp; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 3 tbsp tamarind paste; 2 tbsp palm sugar; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 shallots, minced; 3 tbsp oil; 1/4 cup roasted peanuts; 2 limes; 1 tsp dried chili flakes

Pad Thai reads umami 6.5, funk & ferment 5.5 and salinity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.1 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 0.7 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.5 · Funk & Ferment 5.5 · Salinity 5.2 · Marine & Briny 5.0 · Sourness 4.8 · Citrus 4.6 · Sweetness 4.3 · Allium 3.8 · Richness 3.6 · Nutty 2.7 · Heat 2.0 · Fruity 1.8 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Warm Spice 0.8 · Earthy 0.6 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (16)

8 oz thin rice noodles
1 lb shrimp
3 eggs
2 cups bean sprouts
4 green onions, chopped
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
2 tbsp dried shrimp
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp palm sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, minced
3 tbsp oil
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 limes
1 tsp dried chili flakes

Time & effort: about 30 min (20 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 115.1 kcal, 6.9 g protein, 4.1 g fat, 13.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Soak rice noodles until pliable.
Stir-fry protein and garlic in a hot wok, push to one side and scramble eggs.
Add noodles, tamarind-fish sauce-sugar mixture, and toss over high heat until noodles are cooked.
Plate and top with bean sprouts, green onions, crushed peanuts, chili flakes, and lime wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Classic Pad Thai with Shrimp — Thai
Dale Taldes Slippery Lemongrass Pork Noodles — Thai
Green Curry With Shrimp And Fish (Kaeng Khiao) — Thai
Yum Woon Sen (Glass Noodle Salad) — Thai
Fish Sauce Caramel Pork Pasta — Fusion

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.