Thai cuisine with its amazing diversity and finesse is without doubt one of the best in the world. What makes it so attractive are the subtle and yet clearly distinguishable flavours, the imaginative use of spices, and the artistic presentation of the food. This diversity is also due to the fact that in addition to their own cooking culture, Thais adopted much from the cuisine of India and China and refined it with their own seasonings. International trade also played an appreciable role in this: the use of chilli peppers for example only became popular in contemporary Thailand after Portuguese traders started to introduce them into 16th Century Siam.