Thai cooking rests on a philosophy of simultaneous flavour balance — sour, salt, sweet, and heat held in proportion — and on a set of foundational techniques that govern every preparation in the tradition. The canonical dishes of this chapter proceed from that philosophy into the structured forms it produces: the curry pastes, the clear broths, the wok preparations, the dressed salads, and the dessert tradition built on coconut milk, palm sugar, and rice starches.