Thai Ingredients & Herbs 

Bamboo Shoots (nor mai):
The young shoots of the bamboo plant. They are pale yellow in colour and usually crispy and crunchy to the taste with a mild flavour. They are used for colour, texture, and flavour in many Thai dishes.

Basil

Three different varieties are used. The most common is Bai Horapha, which has a slight aniseed flavour and a reddish purple colour. Others are Bai Kaphrao, which has hotter flavour, and Bai Maenglnk, a milder form often sprinkled over soups and salads. When these are not available western sweet basil may be used, though the taste will be somewhat different.

Bean Sprouts (Thau Ngauk)
These are the crunchy fresh sprouts of mung beans/green beans. They come with crisp texture when eaten fresh and are popular with Pad Thai and other noodle dishes. Bean sprouts are low in calories, high in minerals and Vitamin B.

Chilli (Prik)
As a general rule, the smaller the chilli, the hotter it is. There are many types of chillies grown in Thailand such as Prick Khee Noo  (which is the tiniest and hottest one), followed by the slightly larger Phrik Chi Fa. Dried chillies or Chilli flakes and ground chilli powder are also used.   Chilli is a wonderful herb that creates appetite, relieves gas, and aids digestion. It is also packed with various vitamins and minerals.   (go to the top)

Coconut Milk (Ga ti)
The milk of the coconut made by grating the white flesh, soaking it in boiling water, and then squeezing out the liquid through a fine sieve. The first pressing of the meat is pure coconut milk (hua ga-ti or nam katee "head of the coconut milk") and may be used in recipes calling for either coconut milk or coconut cream. The second pressing of the meat produces a lighter coconut milk (hahng ga-ti "tail of the coconut milk”). Coconut milk is used in many soups and curries.

Dried Chilli (Prik Haeng)
Available as small or large, the size indicates the intensity of the heat.  The larger dried whole chillies are used to make curry paste. Without the seeds, the chillies are pounded along with other spices to give a wonderful flavour and colour. The smaller ones are individually eaten or decorate the food more than incorporated into a mixture.

(Thai) Eggplant (Ma Khuea)
Thai eggplants are essential ingredients in curry dishes. In green curry, Thai eggplants are quartered and cooked in the curry sauce where they become softer and absorb the flavour of the sauce.
Kermit eggplant (Ma Khuea Pror)  is the most common eggplants in Thai cooking are the round white or green ones about the size of a golf ball. It has a slightly bitter taste. Can be eaten fresh with chilli paste or used in curries. It is a great digestive.
Pea Eggplant (Ma Kheua Phuang) has crispy fresh flavour, not bitter. Used in curries for flavouring and colour. Helps digestion; high in iron and calcium.

Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)/ nuoc mam
This salty, pale brown liquid is made from fermented small fish or shrimp. It is widely used in cooking to provide a salty flavour in Thai cooking much as soy sauce would be used and is also used as a dipping condiment for fish, shrimp, pork, and chicken. Fish sauces may be flavoured variously-such as with chiles or sugar-depending on the use.

Galangal (Khaa) / Siamese ginger / Thai ginger/ Laos ginger /
Galangal has a soapy, earthy aroma and a pine-like flavour with a faint hint of citrus. Its refreshing fragrance is often used in many Thai dishes to balance the taste. The roots have many medicinal uses to improve digestion, relieve heartburn, improve blood circulation, and improve skin complexion. Young galangal is less spicy than older roots. The herb in powder form is also available in oriental grocery stores.

Garlic (Kra Tiem)
Garlic is good in relieving gas and aids digestion. Also reduces blood sugar and cholesterol; and is packed with vitamins and minerals.

Ginger (Khing)
A mildly spiced root, which yields a spicy, aromatic taste, ginger is used in Thai cooking. In addition to galanga, there are two varieties of ginger, one Khing and another Krachai which has a milder flavour.

Lime (Ma Now)
Lime is a green, round fruit with sour taste and bitter skin. Lime is used principally as a garnish for fish and as the main sour flavour in spicy salad and curry. It is also freshly squeezed and mixed with water and sugar syrup as a beverage.

Kaffir Lime (Ma Krood)
It has a dark, knobbly green skin with strong flavour. The skin is used in curries and the juice and leaves are used for flavouring. Good for relieving intestinal gas.

Palm Sugar (Nam Tarn Piip)
Known in Thai as Nam Tan Piip, this is derived from the fruit of the Palmyra palm and comes in the form of dry cubes or thick paste.

Pepper (Prik Thai)
The king of spice and an important export since the Ayudhya period. It is widely used in most Thai dishes. It has medical benefits, including relieving gas, helps digestion and stimulates digestive enzymes. Pepper is used in both fresh green (peppercorns), dried black and ground form.

Rice Crackers (Khao Tang)
In the past, it was made from old, bottom pot rice. Today, it is mass produced into flat round or square patties, ready for frying before eating.

Salted / Sweet Turnip (Chai Po)
It is made from salted and pickled (daikon) turnips. It gives authentic Pad Thai noodles its distinct sweet and salty, tangy, savoury apricot-fruit flavour. There are two varieties; one is highly salty, the other less salty and slightly sweetened and commonly used in many Thai dishes. The sweet turnip usually has the words “sweet/sweeten” on the pack.

Shallot (Hom Daeng)
Resembling a small red onion it has a distinct sweet spicy taste more so than regular onions. It is usually added in Thai spicy salad (Yum). Choose large shallots with shiny reddish purple skin. Peel the skin and wash clean before use.

Straw Mushroom (Hed Faang) / Glass Mushroom/ Paddy Mushroom
Small delicate brown mushrooms with a sweet and meaty taste, straw mushrooms range in colour from pale tan when young to dark charcoal grey when mature. It is low in calories and fat, no cholesterol, high in minerals. The more readily available in Australia are canned straw mushrooms.

Tamarind (Ma Kham)
The pulp of the pod of the tamarind tree adds a sour taste to numerous Thai dishes. It is commonly used in Thai curries, soups and stews. Tamarind is usually sold in a paste form, as a brick or in jars of concentrated pulp. When a recipe calls for tamarind, it usually refers to tamarind juice.

Thin White Noodles (Kuai Tiaw Sen Lek)
Flour made from rice grain. Thai noodles are known for their glutinous texture. The Sen Jan variety is best for making Pad Thai.

Tofu (Tao hu)
There are many different forms of tofu - puffs, sheets, sticks, and blocks. The most common are the white shaped blocks. Tofu blocks come in many different textures - soft, firm, hard, and spongy. They are rich in protein and a popular ingredient in vegetarian dishes.