Lemon grass has an intriguing, lemony perfume without the bite that lemons can add to a dish. The taste is refreshing and light, with a hint of ginger. It is most often used in curries, marinades, stews, and seafood soups, as it needs liquid to bring out its essential oils.
Galangal Root
Galangal (galangal, galingale, ginza root, Siamese ginger, alpina galangal or 'huah kah' in Thai) is used like ginger root in cooking, but it is different in flavour, tasting slightly medicinal. Like most spices, galangal promotes digestion, assimilation, and elimination
Kaffir Lime Leaf
Fresh Kaffir Lime Leaf (citrus hysterics or 'bai my magrood' in Thai) is an essential Thai ingredient. Leaves grow in thorny pairs on the Kaffir Lime Tree, which also bears a wrinkled dark green fruit. Add whole or torn leaves to Thai soups like 'Tom Yam' and 'Tom Kah' towards the end of cooking. Slice stacked leaves crosswise very finely and add to meat salads, curry pastes, and fish cakes.
The Fresh leaf makes a good substitute for Kaffir Lime Peel when combined with fresh ordinary lime peel. High in beta-carotene. Also used as an astringent in cosmetics in Thailand.
Whole Kaffir Lime Fruit
Both the leaves and fruit can be stored for up to a year frozen, so stock up now.
Thai Sweet Basil (Bai Horapah)
Tastes rather like anise, looks like European sweet basil, and is used commonly in red and green curries. Store basil, wrapped in a paper towel inside a zip lock bag. Can be kept frozen once the stem has been removed.
Chili: Thai name is Phrik
Phrik Chi Fa is finger size, growing 9-12 centimeters in length, and either yellow, red or green. Not as hot as the bird chili. There is no discernable difference between the colours. Chilies are available fresh and dried, as flakes or powder.
Pea Aubergines: Thai name is Makreu Puang
These pea-size berries, which grow in small clusters, have a bitter flavour that is a good foil to the richness of the spicy curries in which they are most often found. They are also used as a flavouring for nam phrik.
Coriander or Thai name is Phak Chee
Cilantro is the leaf of the young coriander plant, Coriandrum sativum, a herb in the parsley family, similar to anise. Coriander is the most common herb used in Thai cooking. The whole plant is used-the root, stem and leaves. The leaves are often chosen for decoration. The seeds are roasted and then ground in a spice mill and used in curry pastes. The leaves are used for their fresh, peppery flavour, and as a garnish.
Tamarind: Thai name is Mam Kham Peak
Tamarind is the fruit of a tall shad tree, native to Asia and northern Africa and widely grown in India. The large pods contain small seeds and a sour-sweet pulp, that when dried, becomes extremely sour. Tamarind pulp concentrate is popular as a flavoring agent in East Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, much like lemon juice in Western culture. It seasons full-flavoured foods such as chutneys; curry dishes, and pickled fish. It is an important ingredient in Thai cooking, and is available as a bottled puree, crystals or a pulpy solid that has to be soaked, kneaded and seeded.
Pandan Leaf: Thai name is Bai Toey Hom
Long narrow green leaves of an herbaceous plant used for flavouring and colour. There is no substitute of the flavouring and colour, but green colouring may be used as a substitute for the colour. Medicinal Uses: Maintains the heart and liver in good condition, relieves fever and soothes sore throat.
