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Thai spices, aroma and flavour, culinary use, and medicinal use Kaffir lime (makrut, bai makrut)The kaffir lime is a rough, warty green fruit that grows on thorny bush with aromatic and distinctively shaped "double" leaves. The rind of the kaffir lime is commonly used in Thai curry paste, adding an aromatic, astringent flavor. Its hourglass-shaped leaves (comprising the leaf blade plus a flattened, leaf-like leaf-stalk or petiole) are widely used in Thai cuisine (for dishes such as tom yum).  Lime (manao)Limes are usually smaller than lemons, and a source of vitamin C. Limes are grown all year round and are usually sweeter than lemons. In cooking, lime is valued both for the acidity of its juice and the floral aroma of its zest. It is a very common ingredient in authentic Thai dishes. Lime extracts and essential oils are frequently used in Thai aromatherapy.  Garlic (krathiam)Garlic has been used throughout history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Garlic is widely used for its pungent flavor as a seasoning or condiment. It is a fundamental component in many or most dishes of various regions. The flavour varies in intensity and aroma with the different cooking methods. It is often paired with onion, tomato, or ginger. Garlic has been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity. Garlic is also claimed to help prevent heart disease (including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure) and cancer.  Galangal (Kha, Thai ginger)The Galangal plant is a rhizome with culinary and medicinal uses. It is used in Thai cuisine for Tom Yum soups and Tom Kha Gai. Though it is related to and resembles ginger, there is little similarity in taste; its flavor is a complement to its relative ginger, but galangal has little of the peppery heat that raw ginger has. It is available as a whole root, cut or powdered. The whole fresh root is very hard, and slicing it requires a sharp knife.  Coriander (phak chi, rak phak chi)The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, Chinese parsley, cilantro. Coriander roots have a deeper, more intense flavor than the leaves. They are used in a variety of Asian cuisines. They are commonly used in Thai dishes, including soups and curry pastes. Coriander, like many spices, contains antioxidants, which can delay or prevent the spoilage of food seasoned with this spice. A study found both the leaves and seed to contain antioxidants, but the leaves were found to have a stronger effect.  Chilies (Phrik)Five main chilies are generally responsible for Thai food's spiciness. One chili is very small and is known as the hottest chili: phrik khi nu suan. The slightly larger chili phrik khi nu is the next hottest. The green or red phrik chi fa is slightly less spicy than the smaller chilies. The very large phrik yuak, which is pale green in color, is the least spicy and used more as a vegetable (barbecued with soya sauce). Lastly, the dried chilies: phrik haeng are spicier than the two largest chilies and dried to a dark red color.  Lemon grass (dta-krai)It is widely used as a herb in Thai cuisine. It has a citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. Lemongrass is commonly used in teas, soups (tom Yam Koong), and curries (Green Curry, Tom Kha Gai). It is also suitable for poultry, fish (Tod Man Plaa), and seafood. It has medicinal properties and is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. It is supposed to help with relieving cough and nasal congestion.  Turmeric (cumin)Turmeric grows wild in the forests of Southeast Asia. It has become the key ingredient for many Thai dishes (especially in the South), not only in curry, but also in many more. Although usually used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric is also used fresh, much like ginger. Tumeric is an essential part of the Massaman Curry (Yellow Curry Indian influenced). I like very much the fish with Tumeric (pla cumin); also very often in the South I got the rice soup (khao tom) with fresh tumeric. In Ayurvedic practices, turmeric has is used as an anti-inflammatory agent and remedy for gastrointestinal discomfort associated with irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive disorders. The government of Thailand is funding a project to extract and isolate tetrahydrocurcuminoids (THC) from turmeric. THCs are colorless compounds that might have antioxidant and skin-lightening properties, and might be used to treat skin inflammations, making these compounds useful in cosmetics formulations. |