Thai
cooking ingredients may seem rather exotic to the unfamiliar,
but with experimentation you will soon develop a deep &
lasting passion for these foreign flavours. Some of the more
commonly called for ingredients in Thai recipes are listed here
and these are all amongst the range available from Oakleaf.
Please contact us if you need more information or have a recipe
that calls for an unfamiliar ingredient you are struggling to
find. |
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Acacia
Leaf (Cha-om)
A bitter green vegetable. Cha-om is used in omelette-style dishes
and in stir-fry cooking. Thai people eat with chili dipping
shrimp paste sauce (nam prik pla to). |
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Banana
Flower (hua blee)
The banana flower is the flower of the banana and is normally
eaten as a complement to a dish as a side vegetable. You can
also fry or boil it. |
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Banana
Leaves
People in the tropics use these huge leaves to line cooking
pits and to wrap everything from pigs to rice. The leaves impart
a subtle anise fragrance to food and protect it while it's cooking.
Also used as a garnish or a base to serve food. |
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Rose
Apple (Chom-phu)
Bell-shaped, the rose apple has a glossy skin that is either
green or pink and that is eaten along with the crisp, slightly
acid inside. Its decorative appearance guarantees it a prominent
place on any fruit platter |
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Bitter
Melon (Mara)
Also referred to as a balsam pear , this fruit resembles a cucumber
with a bumpy skin and is used as a vegetable in oriental cooking.
Rich in iron, bitter melon has twice the beta carotene of broccoli,
twice the calcium of spinach, twice the potassium of bananas,
and contains vitamins C and B 1 to 3, phosphorus and good dietary
fiber. It is believed to be good for the liver and has been
proven by western scientists to contain insulin, act as an anti-tumor
agent, and inhibit HIV-1 infection. We also have a smaller variety
called Karella |
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Celery
(Bai Khuen Chai)
Thai celery is smaller, greener, thinner stemmed and with more
leaves than that found in Europe. It also has a much stronger
flavour and is used in Thai soups, sautes and salads. Young
celery leaves make an attractive garnish which enhances the
flavour of the food at the same time. |
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Chilli
(prig)
These are little firecrackers! Very hot with a fast, clear and
lasting explosion of heat; a bit acidic too. Often used in Asian
cooking |
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Coriander
or Cilantro (Pakchee)
Thai cooking makes use of the roots as well as the seeds and
leaves of coriander. The round, beige seeds are added to curries
and vegetables. The roots are crushed with garlic and are often
added to soups, with the leaves being used extensively as a
garnish |
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Chinese
Keys or Galingal (kra-chai)
A rhizome with skinny fingers that hang down like a
bunch of keys. Has a peppery flavor which normally used in a
red curry or stir-fried catfish with red curry paste (pad ped
pla duk). |
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Chives
without Flowers (Gui Chai)
Garlic-scented, flat-sided thick chives. They need very little
cooking and are usually added to soups; noodle dishes; stir-fries
or salads just before serving. They have an onion-garlic flavour
and aroma, cut into small pieces, use in stir-fry, noodle, beancurd
dishes and dim sum dishes. Also delicious in omelette. |
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Dragon
Fruit or Pithaya
The unusual dragon fruit (also called pitaya elsewhere in the
world) is a type of cactus that was originally from central
and northern South America. The French introduced the plant
to Viet Nam 100 years ago, where initially it was grown exclusively
for the king and later for wealthy families. The scarlet coloured
skin with green bracts covering the white flesh speckled with
tiny black seeds is unlike any other fruit. Dragon fruit are
delicious fresh and make a great addition to fruit salads, where
its mild sweet taste complements the more intense flavours of
other tropical fruits. |
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Dried
Lime Leaves
These leaves are dark green and glossy coming from the kaffir
lime tree, they keep well in the refrigerator and can also be
frozen. Best cut with scissors if needed in fine strips they
add they add a pungent lemony lime flavour to a dish. |
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Green
Small Eggplant ( Makua )
The smallest Thai eggplant is the pea eggplant, Ma Kheua Phuang.
It grows in clusters, and the young ones are used in curry dishes.
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Baby
Eggplant
The most popular eggplants in Thai cooking are the round white,
blue or yellow ones, a little smaller than a golf ball. They
are essential in chili sauce and curry dishes. |
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Enoki
Mushroom
Named after the enoki tree that it grows on, creamy colour cap
with a long, slender stem. They have a sweet, fruity flavour
with a slight crunch. Delicious raw or cooked, used in Thai
and Japanese cookery to add flavour to soups, stews and salads |
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Galanga
or Galangal (Kha)
Related to ginger and looks quite similar, but is pinkish and
has a distinct peppery flavour. Used in curry pastes, stir-fries
and soups. |
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Guava
(Farang)
This fruit bears the same name as that used to describe a non-Asian
person in Thailand. Hard as an unripe apple, with a somewhat
tart taste, the guava is best eaten with pinch of salt and sugar. |
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Lemon
grass (Ta-Khrai)
An aromatic herb that is used in curry pastes, stir-fries and
soups. Trim the base, remove the tough, outer layers, and finely
slice, chop or pound the white interior. For pastes and salads,
use the tender, white portion just above the root. The whole
stem, trimmed and washed thoroughly, can be added to simmering
soups and curries and removed before serving. |
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Longan
(Lam-Yai)
A small brown fruit, grown in the North, the crisp skin is removed
to reveal a white flesh with a texture and sweetness similar
to a litchi. It is most often eaten fresh. |
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Yard
Long Bean (Thua Fak Yao)
Similar to European French beans, although much, much longer
in length (14-15 inches), the Thai string beans are normally
eaten raw with dishes such as 'Larb' - minced salads north eastern
style - or 'Yam' - spicy Thai salads. They can also be stir
fried with spicy dishes. |
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Mangosteen
(Mang Khut)
Grown in Southern Thailand, this delicious fruit has a thick,
dark red skin, and creamy white segments inside with a sweet,
slightly tart flavour. |
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Mango
Sweet Yellow (mamuang num-dok-mai) |
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Sour
Green Mango (Ma muang dib)
These are commonly used in Thai salads and some soups, or as
a snack with sugar and chilli - they are not a different variety
but are under-ripe. Green mango is used for the tartness and
textures which is very different to the ripe fruit |
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Mint
leaves ( Sa Ra Nae)
Thai mint leaves are round, not thick and are hairless. The
stem is in dark red. They are fragrant after being washed and
chopped. Their taste is slightly hot . They are used as an ingredient
in Spicy Chopped Meat Salad, Laab Nua, and other spicy salad
dishes. They are also served fresh with these spicy salads.
Mint leaves are a must in making spicy meat salad dishes. |
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Morning
glory or Swamp Cabbage ( Phak Bung)
Also called water convolvulus, water spinach or aquatic morning
glory. The Thai variety has delicate dark green leaves. The
tender tips of the stems can be eaten fresh or cooked. |
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Okra
(grajiab)
Okra is deep fried, cooked in sour curry (gang som) and as eaten
raw as an accompanying vegetable to nam prig dishes. |
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Pandang
Leaves (bai dteuy)
Also called daun pandan, pandanus, screwpine leaves and kewra.
Pandang leaves are the source of a well-loved flavouring that
goes into a wide assortment of desserts and sweet treats. The
juice extracted from the fresh leaves provides a natural green
food colouring as well. Many of the prepackaged green sweetmeats
you find in Southeast Asian markets are scented with bai dteuy
essence, although most of them are tinted with artificial food
coloring since the fresh leaves are not always available. (Unless
you buy yours from Oakleaf of course!) |
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Green
Papaya ( Malagaw dip )
Papaya in Thailand come in many varieties and sizes, the smallest
is about 5-inch in length and the biggest is 30-inch in length.
The flesh is shredded and used as a vital ingredient in Thai
Green Papaya Salad or Som Tam, a popular salad dish among foreigners
in Thailand. |
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Thai
Parsley
A popular herb in Thailand, delicious green leaves are great
in many Thai and Oriental dishes. |
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Green
Peppercorns ("prik thai")
White, black, and green peppercorns all come from the same tropical
vine. Young green peppercorns are used in curries, stir fry,
and 'nam prik'. |
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Rambutan
(Ngor)
An attractive fruit with a bright red skin covered in green
tipped hairs, the rambutan is a delicious, white fleshy fruit.
Thai rambutans are particularly noted for their sweetness. |
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Sapodilla
(La-Mut)
Similar in shape to a small mango, the sapodilla is eaten when
ripe by removing the peel and slicing the reddish brown flesh. |
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Thai
Red Shallots (homm)
The preferred onions for Thai cooking are the small red shallots.
Shallots give a greater depth of flavour when chopped and pounded
to make curry and chilli pastes; on the other hand, when eaten
raw in salads, they are sweet and mild, leaving much less of
a lingering aftertaste or "onion breath." Thai people
use red shallots very generously, and like garlic, they are
a fundamental ingredient in the cuisine. |
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Long
Spring Onion
Used in stir fries to enhance the flavour. Has an onion aroma
and a sweet taste. One of the most widely used vegetables in
stir-fries. Most commonly used together with ginger and garlic. |
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Straw
Mushroom (Hed Fang)
Popular in Asian cooking, straw mushrooms are so named because
they're grown on beds of rice straw that's been used in a
paddy. straw mushrooms can be combined with all sorts of ingredients
in stir-fried, braised dishes and soups Also known as paddy
straw mushrooms and grass mushrooms |
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Sweet
Tamarind (Ma Kham)
Tamarind is the bean like fruit from the tamarind tree. Before
it ripens, the pod is green and can be eaten raw. Once ripened
the pod is brown and brittle on the outside, with a soft juicy
pulp inside. The pulp is compressed and then used to add a tart
flavour to many Thai dishes, it is usually used in the form
of tamarind juice. |
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Turmeric
(Kha-min)
Unlike other members of the ginger family used in Thai cooking,
fresh turmeric is pleasantly mild and does not have a sharp
bite. On the other hand, it has a very loud colour -- deeply
orange inside an orange-tinged beige-brown skin. When added
to foods, its carrot orange actually imparts a bright yellow
colour. The pretty colour and delicate flavour of fresh turmeric
is well-loved in the southern region of Thailand, where it is
extensively used in curries, soups, stir-fried dishes, fried
foods, snacks and desserts. |
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Water
Mimosa (Gra Ched)
Water Mimosa is a popular Thai vegetable that is most often
cooked in spicy salads or fried with meats. It is particularly
delicious in Gaeng Som soup. |
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Yam
Bean
Also know as Jicama. Yam Bean looks like the world's largest
turnip. A tuberous root with crisp white flesh and crisp texture,
can be eaten uncooked
Cut the flesh into matchstick pieces or small chunks and use
in salads, stews and stir-fried dishes. |
