Whether they’re gap-year students, bankers or sun worshippers, few people return from Thailand without a taste for the fresh and divergent flavours of south-east Asia.

But recreating Thai cuisine once you’re back home isn’t always easy - Thai ingredients need to be fresh, and some can be tricky to source.

Luckily, Chang Beer is making life a little easier with its new Thai Good Food Guide.

As well as recipes from top Thai chefs, the guide includes contact details for Thai restaurants across Britain in case your own attempts fall short.

According to Nok Murphy, general manager of London’s Mango Tree restaurant, understanding of Thai food has increased dramatically in the last five years.

“We have a lot of customers coming in who have been to Thailand and asking for authentic Thai flavours. They ask for what they had when they went there,” he says.

Each year, almost 800,000 Brits holiday in Thailand, and it is estimated that the UK Thai food market will be be worth £340 million by 2010.

“I personally believe that Thai food is popular because it’s healthy, light and fresh,” Murphy says.

“We cannot use frozen ingredients otherwise it wouldn’t taste right. We have to use fresh food.”

He suggests starting with soup when you’re cooking Thai food at home.

“Tom yum goong, a spicy soup, is easy to make. You can buy a mix which contains chillies, lemon grass and authentic Thai herbs and spices, and then add water. It introduces you to the flavours and encourages you to experiment by adding extra ingredients.

As well as featuring dishes from some of the country’s most prestigious restaurants, the Thai Good Food Guide includes easy-to-follow dishes from award-winning chef Max Piao. Try his versions of these classic Thai dishes.

* The Thai Good Food Guide is available from changbeer.com/goodfood.

Thai Marinated Prawns

This delightful summer dish is healthy and tasty.

Serves 2.

100g (3oz) peeled cooked prawns; 2tbsp coriander leaves; 2tbsp mint leaves; juice of 2 limes; 2 cloves of garlic, sliced; 2tbsp fish sauce; 1tbsp soft brown sugar; 1 shallot, sliced; 6 bird’s eye chillies, bruised (or to personal taste).

Combine the prawns, coriander leaves, mint leaves, lime juice, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, shallot and chillies. Wait until the sugar has dissolved and add to the prawns. Leave prawns marinating for at least one hour (preferably overnight). Serve with a sprinkling of mint and coriander.

Steamed Spare Ribs With Sweet Chilli And Peanuts

A dish to truly prove your Thai credentials. Enjoy getting your fingers sticky. This shouldn’t be served with cutlery! Serves 2.

1 rack of pork belly ribs; 1 litre Chang beer; 2 strips cassia bark or cinnamon stalk; 1 star anise, 6 cloves; 1 stalk lemongrass; 500g raw peeled peanuts (blanched in cold water & dried); 2tbsp coriander stalks; 2 garlic cloves; 2 chillies; 150ml sweet chilli sauce; 2tbsp fish sauce; juice of 1/2 a lime.

Steam pork ribs over the beer and spices for three hours. Allow to cool before portioning into individual ribs. These can be stored in the cooled-down steaming liquor. Place peeled raw peanuts in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Drain, dry and cool. Roast in low oven (110C) until light golden brown – around 20-30 minutes. Crush nuts in a clean teatowel with a rolling pin. Place the coriander stalks, garlic cloves, chillies, sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and lime juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Fry ribs until hot, soft and lightly caramelised. Brush on sticky chilli glaze. Finally roll in crushed roasted peanuts. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.