A Complete Guide For Thai Herbs And Spices

Rinks
03 April, 2023
2 mins ago

Thai food is rich in herbs and spices, and some of them have healing properties as well. Read on to know all about Thai spices.

Thai food is famous for its deliciousness, aromatics, and eye-catching presentation. The many spices & fresh herbs used by Thai cooks are largely responsible for the exquisite flavor of Thai cuisine. To help you better comprehend the nuanced character of the food, we’d want to spend some time today discussing the most often-used spices. So, should we get started?

Cinnamon

Being among the most widely used spices, cinnamon needs no introduction. People in Thailand don't put cinnamon on everything as we do in the West. Thais use it to add flavor and heat to soups and stews like pa-loe soup & braised stew, even though it adds a touch of sweetness. Cinnamon is the ideal seasoning for Thailand because of its ability to prevent heat fatigue.

Coriander Roots

The coriander herb is used as a garnish in many cultures across the world, although the root is rarely used in cooking. The Thais produce a paste from the root by grinding it in a mortar. Many Thai soups get their incredible taste from the coriander root, which also gives off a pleasant scent.

Coriander Seeds

The Thais employ the entire plant, not only the root, in their cuisine. Even the seeds have a purpose. It's hardly surprising that coriander seeds have been a staple in Chinese cooking for millennia. Red meat benefits greatly from the spice's earthy, nutty flavor, distinctive scent, and mild heat. These seeds are also used as a foundational ingredient in some of the world's most acclaimed curries, such as panang and massaman.

Cumin

The taste of cumin is bold and unmistakable. Its flavor is highly regarded in cooking across the globe. To improve the flavor of Thai curry paste, cumin seeds are first roasted, ground, and then put in. You can't get red, green, or yellow curries without them.

Dried Chilies

Dried chilies are a staple ingredient because of Thai cuisine's reputation for heat and spice. Thai people put chili peppers in everything from soups to stir-fries. In fact, it's commonly used as a finishing touch on noodle dishes.

Galangal

One of the most well-known galanga meals in Southeast Asia, and maybe the world, is tom kha gai, aka chicken with galangal soup. Because of the root plant's relationship to ginger, it shares some of that spice's taste profile. The main distinction between ginger & galangal is the fact that the former has a considerably more nuanced and subtle flavor than ginger.

Ginger

Ginger is a popular natural medicine for indigestion due to its spicy flavor. Thais have adopted many of the Chinese techniques for using ginger, such as sprinkling it over steamed fish or adding it to vinegar-based sauces.

Garlic

In Thai cuisine, garlic is among the most widely used ingredients. It's used in everything from soup bases to curry pastes, and from stir-fries to fresh snacks with fatty meals. It's even deep-fried and used as a topping. Each authentic Thai dish will have garlic as a main component.