Thai Ingredients

This bean has a crunchy
texture and is often  eaten
raw with spicy salads to
help cool down the heat
of the chillies. It is also
lovely in stir-fries.

Generally, the smaller 
they are, the hotter  they
taste. At only 2cm long,
the Bird Chilli is one of 
the smallest and hottest
chillies around.

An important ingredient 
in Thai cuisine. The grated
flesh, milk and cream (the
top that separates from 
the cold milk) are used
as flavouring & garnishes 
to many dishes.

The leaves are used to
flavour stir-fry and curry,
the roots and stalks are 
pounded to make Green
Curry paste.

Thai Aubergine
Makeue Poh

Thai Sweet Basil
Bai Horapa

Yard long Bean
Tua Fak Yau

Bird Chilli
Prik Ki Nuu Suan

Morning Glory
Pak Bung

Dried Shrimp
Kung Haeng

There is a wide variety of aubergines in Thailand, some of which can be as small as 1cm in diameter. The ones shown here are commonly used in curries.

There are 3 types of basil 
used in Thai cooking. Bai
Horopa is the closest to
European Sweet Basil and
has a distinctive aniseed
flavour.

Fish sauce is made from
fermented salted fish. It is
used throughout South
East Asia in the same way
that soy sauce is used in 
Chinese cooking.

A root in the same family
as ginger, it has a more
subtle flavour and a
slightly bitter taste. It is 
especially good with fish
and is used in a variety of
soups.

The leaves, and rind of 
this plant is rich in 
aromatic oil and is used to
scent curry dishes. The 
lime juice can be used in
place of the usual lime to 
add piquancy.

Fresh limes are used in 
hot and sour dishes and
dips. Salt pickle limes are
used in soup and stews.

These perfumed leaves are
used as an accompaniment 
to spicy dishes to help
clean the palette. It is also 
used to balance the 
pungent flavours of fish 
and garlic based dishes.

Also called Water Spinach,
it is rich in vitamin A and 
is delicious quickly stir-
fried with chilli and bean
sauce. It grows naturally
by river banks and was a
staple in Thai diet.

Used extensively in curry
pastes and various sauces.
Its low water content 
makes it suitble for deep-
frying. The thin, crispy,
caramelised slices are used
to garnish both savoury
and sweet dishes.

Different varieties are used
throughout Thailand,
Malaysia and Indonesia.
It is made from  dried
shrimp and salt and is rich
in Vitamin B.

These shrimps which are 
salted and dried in the sun
are used unsoaked, 
pounded to add extra
texture and favour to 
sticky rice and salads.

Young leaves and fruits  
are used as a vegetable and
can be eaten raw. We use
the pulp of the fruits of 
the sour variety to add
sharpness and caramel 
flvour to soups and dips.

A type of grass whose
perfumed stalks can be 
chopped or bruised to
flavour a variety of dishes.
It also make lovely tea 
and cordial.

Thai banquets are lavish affairs and often consists of 10-15 dishes decorated  with
delicately carved fruits and vegetables. The dishes are shared and are eaten using a
spoon held in the right hand and a fork held in the left hand.  Thai food is never rigid, 
all the dishes are served at the same time and guests can take as much or as little as
they wish, mixing and matching the flavours to their exact liking. Personalising the
meal is important to the  Thais, even a simple bowl of noodle broth  is always serve 
with a few sauces and relishes.

Another relative of ginger,
it has vivid yellow colour
and a warm, spicy taste.It
is commonly used in Thai
dishes of Indian origin. 
Tumeric powder dilutted 
with water is also good
for the  complexion.

Palm Sugar
Namtan Peep

It is made from the sap of
coconut palm. It has a rich
caramel flavour.

Thai food relies on the skill of the cook to balance the 5 main flavours -sour, sweet,
creamy, salty and hot (sometimes also bitter). This  is achieved by using a core group  
of fundamental ingredients -such as chilli, lime, fishsauce, coconut milk, palmsugar-
added to  fresh, seasonal produce. Additional fresh  herbs and occasionally, spices
give an individual dish its character.

There are 3 different types
red, black and yellow 
(shown here) which is the
most common. It has a 
mild lemony flavour and is
used in curry pastes and in
place of ginger in stir-fry 
dishes.

A typical Thai meal is usually made up of 4-6 dishes that balance each other in 
texture and flavour. For example, a dinner may consists of a fried dish, a steamed
dish, a salad, a curry, a clear  soup a side dish and dips to be eaten with sticky rice 
or more often,  with a large plate of hot, steamed rice.