The use of various herbs and spices is what makes Thai cuisine so delicious.
Thai cuisine is celebrated worldwide for its plethora of flavors and aromas. Precisely, it has a perfect balancing of four distinct tastes - salty, sour, bitter, and sweet. Now, you may have a question - what is so special about this particular cuisine that attracts foodies from all across the world? Simply put, its cooking involves the use of many fresh herbs and spices. The cook blends these perfectly and prepares the food that is filling for the appetite, and soothing for the soul. So, without more ado, let's have a look at eight herbs and spices that are commonly used in Thai cuisine.
Chili: Chili is probably the most common ingredient in Thai cuisine. They use some special types of chilies - such as prik khi nu, prik chi fa, etc. It can be found in several Thai dishes including Green Curry, Red Curry, Panang Curry, and more.
Pepper: Pepper adds a certain delicious flavor to the food that you can't get enough of. Thai people use both black as well as green pepper in most of their dishes.
Cinnamon: Locally known as ob choey, cinnamon is used to add flavors to both sweet and savory dishes. Most of the dark soups (for example, pa-loe soup) in Thai cuisine contain cinnamon as the main ingredient.
Turmeric: Turmeric is widely popular for its rich nutritional value. Also, it adds a certain astringent flavor to the dishes. This is why it makes a common ingredient in most of the curries and stews of Thai cuisine. The list includes Musssamun and Yellow Curry.
Cumin: The flavorful and aromatic cumin is a common ingredient in several Thai dishes, especially Red, Green, and Yellow Curry. It is mostly roasted, pounded, and then mixed with curry paste before being used in cooking.
Basil: You can find basil in almost all Thai dishes - the list includes soups, stews, curries, stir-fries, and more. It possesses a strong aroma and distinct flavor that make the food extremely delicious. Also, some use basil in desserts for garnishing.
Galangal: Thanks to the mild flavor, galangal is used in various soups of Thai cuisine. Precisely, it is a common ingredient in the famous white soup called Tom Kha Gai. It is grounded, boiled, and then mixed with curry paste for culinary uses.
Coriander Root: Thai people prepare a paste using coriander root and add that in most of their soups as well as deep-fried dishes. The root's intense flavor makes the food mouth-watering in the truest sense of the term. Also, its medicinal properties benefit your health in various ways.
Some other herbs and spices in the list are garlic, ginger, cloves, krachai, lemongrass, etc.
