People visit Bangkok for many reasons: the culture, the shopping, elephant sightings in the street, crazy rides in a tuk tuk and, of course.....

......the food! Thai cuisine is known for its balance of flavours – sweet, salty, spicy (that translates as chilli-hot to non-Asians!) and sour. Use this formula with all sorts of fresh-as seafood and locally grown vegetables, and you have meals that have people crossing the world to sample.

It doesn't have to be complicated and fancy either. Small, freshly-caught fish dusted with rice flour and grilled over hot coals, or local clams make a perfect dish when combined with some sauce or rice.

Restaurants and food halls always have extras like these on offer: chillies in soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, chilli flakes, ground peanuts and chilli oil. Ideal to customise any dish to everyone's satisfaction.

foodandtravel.com.au visited the wonderful OTG Market in Bangkok in February, 2013. It was a real treat. Enjoy this video.

Fish doesn't have to always have to be fresh. In a country with a hot climate such as Thailand, it's good to be able to preserve highly perishable foods. We saw these in the markets early in the day....

....and here they are again in the late afternoon on a food cart in a suburban centre, hot and crispy, ideal to nibble before dinner.

But back to the markets. As the video above showed, not only was there every ingredient any keen Thai cook could need, but shoppers could also settle down for a meal, ladled out from the huge cooking vats in many cooking stations around the table area. 

These fish have been braised whole in a tamarind, soy and palm sugar sauce, then sprinkled with shreds of grated garlic. The aroma alone was enough to make anyone hungry.

Thai food has as its foundation these two members of the alium family. This huge display underlines how much they are used. Garlic becomes the flavouring at the commencement of almost every curry and sauce. Small red onions are chopped infinitely finely and used in cooked dishes as well as sprinkled through salads.

Likewise chillies are sold by the bagful, and used by the handful. We didn't sample these, but just guessing – if a Thai vendor labels something as 'very spicy'. we think you'd better believe it.

Bangkok is a hot and thirsty city, and these drink vendors do a busy trade at the market. While green tea is popular, do notice the white cotton sock-like item behind the glasses. It is used to drain brewed coffee into a glass.

These round sausages were popular too, spicy and served to-go in a plastic bag complete with herbs and a salad and the obligatory tiny chilli or two. It's true that the smaller and redder, the more fiery the flavour, so these ones would be dynamite!

Careful housewives took home prime pieces of pork such as these for dinner - a cut anyone would be proud to serve. Just look at that cracking!

The best thing about markets is that there is always something you have never seen before. Who knew that coconuts could be roasted for a richer, nuttier flavour?

And who knew that Thai 'prosciutto' smells and tastes as good as it does in Europe?

Then, just when you thought there was nothing but food in the market, there's a stall selling perfect floral decorations.

Leaving the magnificent market behind, our guide had one last thing to show us - a street market filled with foods for people to buy to take home for the family dinner, or to be eaten right there, while seated on a stool on the footpath. Sometimes the lack of a common language left us guessing, though as to what was on offer.

Other times it was clear what was going to be popped in the pot.

It was Chinese New Year and these are little squashes dressed up in honour of the occasion.

Thais love fruit and this huge citrus fruit, a pomelo, is refreshing without being too juicy and sticky.

Plenty for supper here, and so very obviously 'street' food!

Tokyo cakes, here, are a strange takeaway treat, made sometimes with a whole hot dog (or in this case, one shredded) served rolled  inside a pancake

These crispy tuiles topped with meringue are so delicate and beautiful, they look like they should be in a patisserie.

Many thanks to our patient guide, Mr Prasong, from the tour company Absolutely Fantastic Holidays Co Ltd, who waited (and waited) as we took endless photographs and video footage, and who had an answer to all our questions.

His knowledge of food was excellent, even though he did say he thought his wife would have known more!