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The basic rule for Thai cooking
is that all ingredients should be ready before cooking begins.
This means that each item has to be cut into small, bite-size
pieces in order to cook quickly. Here is a selected list of some commonly-used ingredients. All of the ingredients listed below can be found in specialty
Thai markets, and in areas like Chinatown in most major
cities. As Thai food grows in popularity, more of them will be found
in your local supermarket. Lemongrass, noodles, fish sauce and even coconut milk may already
be on the shelf of your corner supermarket. If you can't find what you're looking for, contact Belle, and
she can find you what you need.
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| Thai Chili Peppers - Perhaps the most famous ingredient in Thai cuisine is the small fresh chili, known as "prik kee noo",
literally "mouse dropping chili". Actually, it is not the spiciest chili
pepper in the world, but if one is unaccustomed to eating spicy food,
or is caught off guard, they can pack a mighty punch! |
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| Galangal - Used
in Thai soup and in curry paste. It comes in a variety of forms - fresh, dry, powdered or frozen. |
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| Thai Sweet Basil - This fragrant
relative of common basil is used in most curry dishes. It is available either dried or fresh, but of course the fresh is far superior. |
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| Curry Paste - There are many
kinds of curry in Thai cuisine. Only the most well-known are introduced on this website. If you wish to buy curry paste ready-made, it is available in oriental markets
and larger supermarkets. |
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| Fish Sauce - Used
mainly in Thai cooking and sauces. Substitutes for salt in
most Thai dishes. Each brand has a different salt content
that can affect the flavor of dishes. |
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| Coconut Milk - Many Thai curries,
desserts and drinks are made with this creamy product. It
can be found in almost any supermarket. |
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| Kaffir Lime Leaves - An important
herb in preparing curry dishes. It can be purchased dry, fresh
or frozen. |
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| Lemongrass - This is an essential
herb that is used in curry paste, and two well-known soups,
Tom Yum Goong and Kai Dom Khaa. This herb is also reputed
to be good for the nervous systems. |
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| Thai Rice Noodles (Kanom Jeen)
- Noodles made from rice flour. Usually served with Thai curries. |
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| Mangos - A sweet delicious
tropical fruit that can either be eaten ripe or green. Good
in salads, desserts and drinks. |
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| Sticky Rice - Rice used in the
north and northeastern part of Thailand as a main staple food.
In other parts of Thailand, it is used in desserts. It has
a sticky texture. |
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| Jasmine Rice - Rice varietal which is grown primarily in Thailand. The subtle, nutty flavor and rich aroma are very pleasing to the palate. Jasmine
rice is readily available in most stores, and like many other kinds of
rice should be used within six months of purchase for optimal flavor
and freshness. |
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| Ginger - Ginger can add a wonderful zing to all types of dishes, from salads to entrees. |
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| Thai Limes - Limes, and not lemons, are the main citrus that gives the sharp sour
and zesty flavor that Thai people so love. The larger, thick-skinned,
yellow lemon is a temperate-climate citrus and does not grow in
tropical Thailand. There is, however, confusion in the use of English
terminology among Thai people, and limes are erroneously referred to as
"lemons" in Thailand. (The Thai word for lime is manao.) |
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| Red Onions - Medium to large onions with purplish-red skins, red-tinged white flesh and a mild, sweet flavor. |
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Basic Ingredients 
