Local food of Chiang Rai is the Northern Thai food is a world away from the dishes you’ve probably encountered at your local Thai restaurant at home. The food of the north is indicative of the region's seasonal and relatively cool climate, not to mention a love for pork, veggies and all things deep-fried. Traditionally, the residents of Thailand's north ate almost exclusively, sticky rice, known in the local dialect as “Kow Neung” Coconut milk rarely makes its way into the northern kitchen, and Northern Thai cuisine is least spicy of cooking, often relying on bitter or other dried spice flavors.