Common herbs and spices used in Thai food
2. Kaffir lime leaf - when torn or finely shreded, added the perfumed aroma and flavour no lime or citrus fruit can match (One of the main ingredient in Tom Yam soup)
3. Thai basil - Intensely aromatic dark green leaves with purplish flower head plant that is commonly used to stir-fried with chicken/beef or added into the curry
4. Coriander - the leaves are used as garnish; the root is crush together with garlic and black pepper for use in seasoning; the seed is used as one of the spices in thai curry
5. Chilli - more than 2 dozen varieties found in Southeast Asia and for thai food it is normally roasted gently until crisp then ground to coarse powder to be used as condiment
3 things you should know about asia herb and spice
1. Herbs and spices used in Thai cooking are normally pungent in flavour and intensely aromatic2. Chilli, lemongrass and coriander are the inseparable part of Thai cuisine
3. Authentic thai food is not for the fainthearted
P.S. If you learn just one thing from this page...
What are the spices used in Curry?
- What are the spices used in Curry?
- The name curry is originated from the Tamil (language spoken in Southern India) word 'Karhi'. It means Indian food cooked with sauce.Curry spice mixtures varies by different regions of Asia (e.g. India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand) depending on styles of cooking adopted.Blend
Lemon grass
Lemon grass is a perennial tufted plant with long, sharp-edged leaves. It grows in dence clumps in sunny climates with some rainfall.Aroma & Flavour - Distinctive citrus bouquet that contributes to the bright lemon flavour to dishes
Culinary Use - Featured in many dishes including soups, stir-fries, curries and pickles
How does the Lemon Grass plant looks like
If you have never seen a lemon grass plant, it is as shown in the picture. This plant can be grown easily in tropical climate and it do not need much cares to prosper.
Besides, its wide usage in thai foods, it can also be used as the natural mosquito repellent due to its strong aroma. You just simply need to cut away the tips of the leaves for the aroma to be released
Kaffir lime leaf and zest
The kaffir lime is a dark green, warty skin lime found in Southeast asia. It is valued for its zest and marvellous perfumed leaf that no other lime or citrus fruit can match.The kaffir lime leaves are torn and finely shreded to add distinctive flavour to soups and curries in Thai cuisine like Tom Yam soup; and Malaysia/Singapore Nyonya style curries and cooking.
A taste of Kaffir lime leaf and Lemongrass
Tom Yam Soup is the signature Thai dish that feature the distinct flavour of Kaffir lime leaf and Lemon grass
Recipe of Tom Yam Soup
Hot and Sour soup with seafood
Ingredients
- 625g mixed seafood such as raw prawns, squid, white fish fillet, scallops and mussels
- 900 ml Seafood Stock
- 3 lemon grass stalks (bruised)
- 5 coriander roots (bruised)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 125g straw or mixed mushroom
- 1 onion (quartered)
- 4-5 red and green chillies (slightly crushed)
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 5 kaffir lime leaves (torn or shreded)
- 3 tablespoons lime/lemon juice
Steps
1. Prepare the mixed seafood
2. Put the stock, lemon grass, coriander and fish sauce in a saucepan and heat to boiling point
3. Reduce the heat, add seafood and cook for 2 minutes
4. Add the mushrooms, onion, chillies, tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves and lime/lemon juice
5. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, taking care not to let the tomatoes lose their shape
6. Turn into a serving bowl, garnish with a few kaffir lime leaves and serve
"Tom Yam Soup is one of my favourite Thai dish"
Chilli
There are more than 2 dozen varieties of chillies found in Southeast Asia. They comes in different sizesIn Asian food, green (unripe), red (ripe) and dried chillies are used
Where does the "hotness" of chillies come from?
You might have taught it is the seeds, but in fact, it is from the placenta (the pithy white part of the fruit to which the seeds are attached)
Hence, removing both seeds and placenta will reduce the hotness of chillies
Is Bigger chilli Hotter?
In fact, it is the other way round. The smaller the chilli, the hotter it is!
Basil
Basil is found commonly in Thai cooking. It is normally used to stir-fried with chicken/beef or added into the curry.
In Thailand, these intensely aromatic dark green with purplish flower head plants are often eaten raw as a herb or nibbled with raw vagetables and spicy dip.
There are a few varieties of basil found in Souteast Asia like Sweet Basil, Lemon Basil, "Holy" Basil which are used varying in different Thai dishes
Coriander
Raw coriander leaves are widely used as granish and flavouring in Thai and Chinese foods.
The coriander root is crushed together with garlic and black pepper to be used as basic seasoning for some of the Thai food.
Besides the leaves, coriander seed is claimed to be the most commonly used spice in Asian food. They are present in almost all blends of curries.
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Reader Feedback
RinchenChodron wrote...
We have a restaurant here in Denver called Thai Basil - YUMMMMMM! Great food. Thanks for this lens.
Posted January 10, 2009
