No other national cuisine enjoys quite the degree of popularity that Thai food (0) DOES. Ten years ago it was a rarity in Europe and the United States and prior 1 that it was virtually unknown. Now Thai cooking has become 2 of the West's favourite exotic styles of cooking. As well as the growing popularity of Thai restaurants throughout the world, there has been an increase little by little in 3 availability of ingredients on supermarket shelves. One of the things that make Thai cooking 4 challenging is the sheer variety of types of dish. Thai food lies between Chinese and Indian cuisine, with influences from Burma, Cambodia and Malaysia, all of 5 has had an effect on Thailand at different stages of its history. Some of the ingredients come from far afield. Chillies, to give 6 one example, are originally from Central and South America but were incorporated quickly 7 the national diet. Taken all 8, these influences from abroad have made Thai cooking a strongly regional set of cuisines.