Herbs and Spices are an essential part of Thai cooking. Used in combination, they help achieve a balance of the four essential Thai tastes: salty, sour, sweet and spicy.
Small Thai Chillies (Prik Kee Nuu Suan)
Small chilies are hotter than the Medium chilies.
Small Dried Chillies (Prik Kee Nuu Haang)
Small Dried Chilies are hotter than the larger ones, but not as hot as fresh chilies. Some dishes call for dried chilies to be used instead of fresh. They are also thrown into curry pastes to give some kick. These chilies are about 2-3″ long.
Light Green Chillies (Prik Youak)
Light green chilies are spicy, but not as spicy as prik kee nuu. These chilies are often stir fried with pork.
Long Thai Chillies (Prik Chee Faa)
Long chilies aren’t very spicy, but have a nice flavor. They are most commonly used dried to make red curry paste. These chilies are about 150mm long.
Long Dried Chillies (Prik Chee Faa Haang)
These chilies are the key ingredient in ‘Red Curry Paste’. It’s what gives that curry it’s flavor and distinctive red color. They are not very spicy at all. If you want a hotter Red Curry, you’ll need to add some small dried chilies too. These chilies are about 150mm long.
Garlic (Kra-tiem)
Garlic is used in virtually all Thai dishes. The garlic which is found in Thailand has a stronger flavor than the western version, but all garlic can be used in Thai cooking.
Shallots (Hom Daeng)
Shallots are used in Thai cooking almost as much as garlic. The shallots which are found in Thailand are smaller than the European varieties, and are a touch more flavorful.
Spring Onions (Dton Hawm)
Spring Onions are used for many different dishes in Thailand. They are commonly used to garnish soups and are used in salads.
Garlic Chives (Gua Chai)
Garlic Chives are different than the purple flower ones you find in the West. The leaves are flat, and not hollow and round, and the flavor is different. Garlic Chives are used in Chinese-Thai stir fries, and Thailand’s most famous dish, Pad Thai.
Holy Basil (Bai Ka Phra)
This is the type of basil which is stir fried with meat or tofu to make Pad Ga-prao, sometimes written in English as ’stir fried with basil’.
Thai Basil (Bai Horapa)
This basil has medium sized green leaves, purple stem and purple flowers. It’s quite fragrant, and the smell is quite unlike the other two basils which are popular in Thailand. This basil is eaten with some curries and noodle soups.
Kaffir Lime Leaves (Ma-krut)
Lime leaves have a citrus like taste, and are used to flavor soups and curries.
Lemongrass (Ta-Khrai)
The leaves can be finely shredded and added to salads, or torn and added to soups and curries. They are aromatic and have a fragrance similar to lemongrass.
Galangal (Khaa)
Galangal is the khaa in Tom Khaa. Also used in Tom Yum and curry pastes. You can usually find it fresh or frozen in Asian groceries. Galangal is recognizable by the long pink stalks and pink tips on the root.
Ginger (Khing)
Ginger is used for some Chinese-Thai dishes. Peel or cut off the skin before using. Ginger is also excellent for stomach issues.
Young Ginger (Khing Onn)
Young ginger is picked earlier than regular ginger and has a more subtle flavor. The skin is very light colored and thin, and can be left on for cooking.
Turmeric (Kha min)
Turmeric is a bright orange colored root. It adds color and flavor to certain dishes, and is mainly used in Southern Thai food.
Fresh Peppercorns (Prik Thai Onn)
Whole fresh peppercorns still on the stem are thrown into some dishes, notably ‘Phad Kee
Mao’ and ‘Gaeng Paa’.
White Peppercorns (Met Prik Thai)
White pepper has a different flavor than black pepper, and really should not be substituted.
Black Peppercorns (Met Prik Thai Dum)
The same black pepper you see in Western cooking.
Peanuts (Tua Li-song)
Peanuts are used in a few dishes. The most popular of which are Som Tum and Massaman Curry. It’s easiest to purchase pre-roasted peanuts, but make sure they are “dry-roasted” and unsalted.
Coriander (Phak Chee)
Americans call this herb by it’s Spanish name, Cilantro, while the English call it Coriander. Coriander has a very strong smell and taste, you’ll either love it or hate it. The leaves are commonly used to garnish soups, and the roots are used in a lot of dishes.
Coriander Root (Raak Pak Chee)
Thais use the root of the Coriander (Cilantro) plant as a flavoring in soups and curry pastes. Cut the root with about 1/2″ of green (like shown) and wash very very well before adding to the dish. To get even more flavor in a soup, bruise the root with a stone mortar & pestle first.
Coriander Seeds (Met Pak Chee)
These are the seeds from the plant. They are commonly ground up in curry pastes.
Long Coriander (Phak Chee Farang)
Long Coriander is sometimes called ‘Saw Tooth Coriander’. It’s native to Central America and the Caribbean. It’s mainly used to flavor soups. If you can’t find Long Coriander, regular coriander/cilantro leaves can be used, but the flavor is different.
Mint (Sa ra nae)
Mint is used in North-East (Issan) dishes such as Laap and Naam Tok and other salads.
Pandan Leaves (Bai Dtoey)
Pandan leaves are used for wrapping up food prior to steaming or frying, as well as giving many Thai desserts their flavor. When you see green colored desserts, likely the flavor is pandan.
Banana Leaves (Bai Dtong)
The leaves of the Banana palm are used in Thai cuisine to wrap foods before steaming. The leaf gives the food a slight flavor.
White Pepper Powder (Prik Thai Bpon)
White pepper has a different flavor than black pepper, and really should not be substituted.
Black Pepper Powder (Prik Thai Dum Bpon)
The same black pepper you see in Western cooking.
Chili Powder (Prik Bpon)
Chili Powder is made from dried and ground small chilies. It’s used to flavor and add spice mainly to soups and noodles.
Curry Powder (Pong Ga-ree)
Curry Powder is a ground up blend of spices. It’s orange from tumeric. It’s more popular in Southern Thai cooking.
Palm Sugar (Naam Dtaan Bpuk)
Palm Sugar is sugar made from boiling the sap from the fruit of the palm tree. There are two types of ‘Palm Sugar’ — sugar which comes from Coconut, and sugar which comes from Sugar Palm. Either can be used. The flavor is somewhat similar to ‘Maple Sugar Candy’. Thai curries and sweets are sweetened with this type of sugar.
Cinnamon Sticks (Ope Cheuy)
Cinnamon Sticks are used whole in some Chinese-Thai dishes, such as Five Spice Tofu. It is also sometimes put into Massaman Curry. However, Cinnamon is never used in sweets like it is in the West!
Star Anise (Boi Gak)
Star Anise is used in some Chinese-Thai dishes, such as Five Spice Tofu.
Onions (Hom Yai)
Onions are not used as often as shallots, but they are pretty common. They are used primarily in yum (Thai salads) and some curries. They are also stir fried into some dishes.
Cassia Leaves (Bai Gra-wan)
Cassia Leaves are very similar in appearance to Bay Leaves. These are dried leaves from the cassia tree, a type of cinnamon. They are primarily used in Massaman Curry. Commonly in Asian markets they are labeled “Indian Bay Leaves”.
Cardamom (Look Gra-Wan)
Cardamom seeds are used in Chinese, South East Asian and Indian cooking. They’re also used in some Western Desserts and Indian spiced tea (masala chai). A few roasted pods make a great addition to Massaman Curry.
