Thai Ingredients and Healthy Eating
Chili (Phrik)
Appearance: Many different kinds of chilies; small, fresh and dried or as flakes and powder, the smaller the chile, the hotter it is.
Top left: Bird's eye chilies, (phrik kee noo) small thin, green or sometimes red are used in soups, some liquid or currylike dishes and sauces. They are extremely hot.
Dried chili (phrik haeng) uses both large (red spur chilies) and small (bird's eye chilies) dried either in the sun or by smoking. Bright red chilies should be selected for the color they lend chili pastes.
Bottom right: Red spur chilies (phrik chi-fah) if you prefer a milder flavor, use large chiles, which are green, yellow and red. This kind should be used in curry for coloring the plate.
Flavor: Extremely hot.
Health Benefit: Cures flatulence. Stimulates blood circulation. Drives gas out of the stomach. Increases perspiration and aids digestion.
Coriander or Cilantro (Phak Chi)
Appearance: It resembles flat-leaf parsley in appearance. Essential in Thai cooking, the leaves and stem are eaten fresh and used frequently as a garnish. Coriander roots are usually crushed with garlic and then used to flavor meat dishes and curries. The leaves are used universally to garnish every conceivable kind of savory dish.
Flavor: Delicate, pleasant taste and fragrance.
Health Benefit: Aids digestion and deodorizes the meat's smell. Cures flatulence and reduces phlegm.
Galangal or Galanga (Kha)
Appearance: Member of the ginger family that looks similar to fresh ginger but with a more translucent skin and a pinkish tinge / pale-yellow color. Larger and lighter colored than ginger. Used in curry pastes, stir-fries and soups. Avoid using too large a quantity or it may spoil the taste of the curry.
Flavor: Delicate flavor and lemony taste.
Health Benefit: Helps the digestive system to digest food. Cures flatulence. Drives phlegm from the throat and relaxes muscles.
Garlic (Kratiem)
Appearance: Thai garlic is smaller and more tender than the western variety. It has small white cloves covered with a soft peel. It is always peeled and crushed before use. Look out for fresh, shiny heads of garlic and avoid soft, dusty or moldy cloves.
Flavor: Hot, stronger than the large cloved garlic.
Health Benefit: Decreases cholesterol in the blood and destroys blockages in blood vessels so it can help control blood pressure and heart diseases. Helps drive parasitic worms out of the stomach. Solves problems of throat disease, asthmatic and colicky pains and nourishes the lungs.
Ginger (Khing)
Appearance: Grows underground. Mature ginger stems are buff colored; Thais use both the old and young fresh ginger, which is pale yellow with a pinkish tinge. Eaten fresh, and pickled as well as cooked, Shaped in fingers hanging from the main body. Look for shiny, fat roots that aren't wrinkled or shriveled. It is always used fresh rather than dried, and is peeled and chopped or crushed before cooking.
Flavor: Sweet and hot.
Health Benefit: Relieves nasal congestion and aids the digestive system by curing flatulence as ginger stimulates contractions of the stomach.
Hairy Basil (Bai Mang Luk)
Appearance: A bright, light green plant with a tangy taste and tiny leaves, it is usually sprinkled over salads, soups and some curry dishes as a garnish. For example, in a soup with a variety of herbs and vegetables. Known in Thai as kaeng lieng.
Flavor: Lemony flavor
Health Benefit: Solves the problem of excessive stomach gas and nourishes the heart.
Holy Basil / Sacred Basil (Bai Kaphrao)
Appearance: There are two types of holy basil, light and dark, the latter being dark purple. Light holy basil is used in spicy salads because it is not so fragrant. Sometimes used to garnish stir-fried dishes or deep-fried to make crispy leaves for garnishing.
Flavor: Strong flavor, slightly hot.
Health Benefit: Deodorizes the meat's scent, solves the problem of excessive stomach gas and colicky pain, helps to digest food and is high in beta-carrotine to make bones stronger. Increases perspiration and reduces phlegm.
Kaffir Lime (Ma Krud)
Appearance: Green fruits with knobby, dark skin, widely used in Thailand. The skin, juice and leaves are all used. The rind is often grated and added to food, while the fragrant leaves, rinsed and shredded, are added in chili soups or hot salad dishes to heighten their aromatic appeal.
Flavor: Strong lime fragrance and flavor.
Health Benefit: Deodorizes the meat's scent. Leaves and skin aid digestion and reduce the effects of over eating.
Lemon Grass (Ta-Khrai)
Appearance: Tall plant that resembles a grass with small bulbous roots and an aromatic gray-green grass. Only the bottom 12 cm / 5 inches of the lemon grass, is sliced, crushed or chopped in a wide range of Thai dishes, especially curries, soups and salads. The stem end is added whole to spicy soups and curries.
Flavor: Aromatic lemony scent.
Health Benefit: Deodorizes the meat's scent and cures stomach ache as it will relieve contractions in the intestines (curing flatulence).
Lesser Ginger (Krachai)
Appearance: This unusual rhizome, which looks like a bunch of short yellow-brown tuberous roots is used in fish dishes. It is sold under the English name of powdered rhizome, when it takes the form of dried, slivered roots.
Flavor: Mild flavor.
Health Benefit: Makes you feel fresh. Benefit similar to Chinese ginseng.
Limes (Manao)
Appearance: Not to be confused with kaffir lime, Thais use these small spherical fruits, which are green or yellow, for juice and to garnish salads. If you don't have limes on hand, substitute lemons for juice and lemon wedges for garnishes.
Flavor: Sour flavor.
Health Benefit: Drink lime juice to eradicate phlegm. Solves the problem of bleeding gums.
Mint (Sa-Ra-Naei)
Appearance: Thai mint leaves are deep green and round, thin, hairless, and slightly wavy. The stem is dark red and is served fresh as an ingredient in spicy chopped meat salads, spicy salads and in sour and spicy fish soups.
Flavor: Hot and fragrant (especially after being washed and chopped).
Health Benefit: Reduces perspiration and cures flatulence. Contains vitamin C that helps protect against colds and fevers. Its fragrance is invigorating.
Onion (Hom Hua Yai)
Appearance: Light colored bulbs that are larger and milder than the shallot. Slightly brown coloured. Peel the cloves off, rinse and thinly slice for salad dishes and as a garnish.
Flavor: Slightly hot.
Health Benefit: Eating half a fresh bulb each day will help to decrease heart and blood diseases heart and blood diseases as it protects the arterial walls from fat. Reduces phlegm.
Pepper (Phrik Thai)
Appearance: Berries, when ripe, are dried and ground with the skins on to make black pepper, or with the skin off to make white pepper. The most widely available form in Thailand is white pepper used to flavor many dishes.
Flavor: Hot and aromatic.
Health Benefit: Cures flatulence and reduces phlegm.
Plate Brush Egg Plant (Ma Khera Puang)
Appearance: Many different sizes and shapes, ranging in size from a ping-pong ball to a marble; in shape from an egg to a flattened sphere, and in color from green and white to yellow which looks like large peas. Tiny pea-sized eggplants are mostly used in curry dishes.
Flavor: Bitter and quite sour.
Health Benefit: Aids digestion. Full of calcium and phosphorus. Decreases blood pressure and stimulates circulation.
Shallots (Hom Lek or Hom Daeng)
Appearance: Thai shallots are small cloved bulb-shaped onions pinkish-purple in color. Shallots are fondly called "small onions or Thai red onions" among Thai people. Peel them off, rinse and coarsely chop them for chili salad dishes. They can also be sliced, deep fried and used as a garnish. Large red or brown onions can be used as a substitute.
Flavor: Sweet, oniony flavor.
Health Benefit: Cures flatulence.
Spring Onion or Scallions (Ton Hom)
Appearance: Mild long stemmed, slim onions. Both the green and the white portions are used. These are much used as a garmish and are frequently served on the side of a meal, such as fried rice or placed on the salad plate.
Flavor: Strong.
Health Benefit: Aids colds and fevers by clearing the respiratory system.
Sweet Basil (Bai Horapha)
Appearance: It is used liberally as seasoning and sprigs of it are often added to platters of fresh raw vegetables. They have small deep green leaves with reddish-purple stems, and are used in red and green curries.
Flavor: Stronger than westem sweet basil with a distinctive lemony fragrance.
Health Benefit: Seasons the food. Deodorizes the meat's scent. Cures flatulence and aids digestion. Reduces phlegm.
Tamarind ( Makham )
Appearance: Comes from the tamarind tree, which has fine fern leaves. The fruit is eaten green but the brown pulp is used for cooking. Making tamarind juice is easy. It's called "tamarind paste" and is preserved from shelled tamarind. These should be rinsed before being soaked with a small amount of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze the paste and use the liquid. It is used in spicy and some chili salad dishes.
Flavor: Sour flavor.
Health Benefit: Cures stomach problems and constipation. Contains vitamin C and calcium so it is good for bones and teeth.
Turmeric Root (Kha-Min)
Appearance: Small ginger with brown rhizomes. Both old (A) and young (B) ones are used. The old one is a bright, carrot orange color and is used in pounded form for coloring food and deodorizing the meat's scent. The color of young turmeric root is pale and mostly eaten fresh with 'nam phrik' a sauce of shrimp paste and chili.
Flavor: Bitter spice.
Health Benefit: After eating, stomach problems are relieved e.g. gastric or peptic ulcers.
Five-spice Powder (Krueng Phalo)
Appearance: This reddish brown powder is a blend of five Chinese spices — anise, cinnamon, fennel, cloves and Syechun peppercorns. Traditionally, the powder is used by Chinese in their ceremonies to pay respects to their ancestors. In Thailand, it is a main ingredient to make a popular dish Khai Phalo (Boiled Eggs with Five Spice Soup).
Flavor: Extreme aromatic scent
Health Benefit: Cures indigestion and gets rid of phlegm.
Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)
Appearance: Nam Pla is made from fish marinated with salt. Although both freshwater and saltwater fish can be used, Thais are likely to use the later one to marinate fish sauce since they are cheaper. Found in every grocery store, a good Nam Pla contained in bottles should have very clear brown color and no sediment when you shake it.
Flavor: Salty with strong smell of fish. Nam Pla is added in food to provide the salty dimension.
Health Benefit: Fish sauce contains high protein, vitamins and minerals.
Tofu (Tao-Hoo)
Appearance: Tofu or beancurd comes in various types — some hard, some soft, some in yellow, some in white and some available in tubes. Thais call the softest one "tao huay". It is a common dish for vegetarian as well as general cuisine. Tofu is a cheaper and healthier way of adding a source of protein to Asian diets.
Flavor: Soft and tasteless
Health Benefit: Tofu is very great for health. It contains high protein, calcium, iron and vitamins. Vegetarians and overweight people even use tofu as a substitute to protein from meat. Very easy to digest. Perfect for those who suffer from high blood pressure since it is low in cholesterol.
Some of the photos on this page are © Tropical Plant Book and some © Gernot Katzer.