Herbs and Spices

Basil (Bai Krapao)

A much stronger flavour than Bai Horapha, it has reddish purple leaves, and is usually cooked.

Cardamon (Krawan)

Grown in South Eastern Thailand,Cardamon has been used since ancient times. These aromatic pods can be either green, white or black, and are used in a variety of sweet and savoury Thai dishes, especially in curries.

Chillies (Prik)

Thai cooking frequently uses generous amounts of Chillies in most dishes. Many different varieties of chilli are used, the most common being 3 to 4 inches long. They can be red, green or yellow when fresh, or red when dried. The hottest part of the chilli is its seeds. To keep the flavour of the chilli without the heat, the chillies are split open and the seeds removed. Dried chillies should be soaked in hot water for ten minutes before grinding.

Cloves (Kan Plou)

Cloves are the dried flower buds of a member of the myrtle family and can be used whole or in powder form. In Thai cuisine. They are added to curries but they also mix well with tomatoes and salty vegetables.

Coriander (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.

Cumin (Yira)

Thai cuisine uses cumin on grilled meats and in sauces, with only the seeds being used either ground or dried.

Galangal (Kha)

There are two types of galangal - lesser and greater - and both are related to ginger. Greater galangal is the type most frequently used in Thailand, it's inside is milky white and has a more subtle aroma than that of lesser galangal. It is most frequently used in soups and curries.

Garlic (Grathiam)

Used abundantly in Thai cuisine, the Thai garlic head has much smaller cloves than Western varieties.

Kaffir Lime Leaves (Bai Makrut)

The Kaffir lime is a member of the citrus family. Thai cooking uses both the lime zest and the leaves. The fruit has a dark warty green rind and very little juice, with a skin rich in aromatic oils.

Lemon Grass (Takrai)

Lemon grass has long lemony-smelling blades, but only the white, bulbous lower part is used. It gives a unique flavour to curries and soups and is one of the most common herbs in Thai food.

Mint (Bai Saranae)

Thai salads, fish dishes and soups are all flavoured with leaves of the spearmint variety.

Star Anise (Poy Kak)

With a strong aniseed flavour, star anise is an eight pointed star shaped seed pod from a relative of the magnolia.

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.