No, Drunken Noodles Don't Contain Alcohol. Here's What It Means

With a name like drunken noodles, it makes sense that someone might assume it's a dish that contains copious amounts of booze. But this dish, called Pad Kee Mao in Thai, doesn't have a single drop of alcohol. Instead, it's a spicy stir fry made with rice noodles, garlic, hot chili peppers, a protein such as chicken, beef, or shrimp, and a sauce typically made up of soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. So where does the name come from? There isn't a definitive answer out there, but there are a few plausible theories.

Simply put, drunken noodles are spicy. The combination of fiery chilis and other spices brings enough of a kick to make even people with the most impressive of heat tolerances feel like they need to dunk their heads in a bucket of ice water. That's how one popular theory was born: drunken noodles are so spicy that someone would need to drink insane amounts of water to be able to even eat the dish. While that theory involves consuming liquids in general and not necessarily alcoholic ones, a deviation of it suggests its name comes from the fact that drunken noodles pair nicely with an ice-cold beer. The beer cools off your tastebuds, and the beverage's bitterness complements the sweet and umami notes of the dish.

A couple of other theories all center around the mental state of the people cooking and eating this dish, and not alcohol itself. One story says that drunken noodles are the product of an inebriated cook throwing together ingredients they had on hand in order to create a midnight meal after overindulging in adult beverages. Others say the "drunken" part of the name is an ode to intoxicated folks who need an ideal post-party dish to soak up the alcohol they've consumed and hopefully lessen the pain of a hangover in the morning. 

Drunken noodles can be found in night markets in Thai cities and is a popular choice to enjoy after a night of drinking. The spiciness is intentional so that it can be tasted by the dulled senses of a drunk person while also giving them an awakening jolt, perhaps sobering them up a bit.

If you find yourself wandering the streets of Thailand or just dining at an authentic Thai restaurant anywhere else in the world, chances are the spice levels are going to be diabolical. However, this is an easy dish to make at home, which puts you in control of the heat meter. If you know you need a more mild version of drunken noodles, you can reduce the amount of chili peppers you include, or omit them altogether. While we may never truly know how Pad Kee Mao got its nickname of drunken noodles, this dish is delicious whether you've been drinking or not.