ThaiCookingHouse

Prik Kee Noo are also known as birds eye chilies or dynamite chilies. These Thai chilies are viciously hot and widely used in Thai cuisine. They form the basis for most num prik, curry paste and salad dishes. These chilies are the hottest chilies among Thai chilies. There are 2 main colors:  red and green but sometimes you may see an orange color.

To make high quality Thai dishes, fresh coconut is a must. Back in the old days, only fresh coconut was used in making Thai dishes. And at present, to make coconut milk, finely grated coconut meat is still steeped in warm water, not hot water. It is then squeezed until dry. The white fluid from the first press is called "Hua Ka Ti". Warm water is then added again to make the second and third pressed coconut milk, which is called "Hang Ka Ti." Finely grated coconut meat is generally used about 3 times and then discarded. Freshly pressed coconut milk has a better taste and aroma than commercial coconut milk in a can. However, with a fast pace of life, or a focus more on other elements of life, it becomes more common for a family to use commercial coconut milk.

There are various brands of coconut milk. Some are good and some are not. These days you can find creamy coconut milk (Hua Ka Ti). The good brand for coconut cream (Hua Ka Ti) is Savoy brand. Other good brands of coconut milk are Arroy-D, Chao Koh and Mae Ploy. These 3 brands will have thick cream floating on top of the can (Hua Ka Ti) while the milk on the bottom will be much more watery (water-like part). The cream usually coagulates in cool weather, or when refrigerated. Savoy brand is good for making desserts because of its aroma.

Jackfruit is considered one of the nine propitious trees in Thailand. It is believed to bring prosperity and support to a family. The fruit of jackfruit trees is very large, usually more than 10 inches in diameter. The young fruit has a green skin and becomes yellow when ripe. It contains many pips or kernels. These are sometimes eaten roasted, as are the seeds. The fruit is yellow and succulent, with a sweet taste. Thais eat the yellow flesh alone, with coconut ice cream or mixed with other fruits and syrup or coconut milk (Num Kang Sai). The cooked seeds are used in many dessert dishes like Med Ka Noon.

To cut up jackfruit, it is recommended to oil your knife before cutting as well as the hand which will touch the fruit. An alternative way is to have warm water and a cloth ready to wipe your knife. This is because the fruit is very sticky. Also wash the jackfruit to remove stickiness before eating. Fresh jackfruits are hard to come by in the US. However, versions frozen, dried, canned, brined or in syrup can be found in most Asian grocery stores.

Jackfruit offers many health benefits because it contains various vitamins and antioxidants. The jackfruit tree has also been transformed into a variety of things such as flooring, mortar, combs, ranads and vases. The root and core has a yellow or brownish-yellow color, and is often used in textile dies.

The Thai mango is often called "Ma Muang" in Thai. Fresh mango season is relatively short each year, for a little over two months until late spring. During this time one finds the most delicious mangoes in Thailand, and the vast majority do so. These millions of people enjoy the many luscious variations of fresh Thai mangoes - mangoes serve as a staple for desserts, salads, etc. The main factors affecting color, size and shape are soil and harvest area, as well as the type of mango. Common shapes include: kidney-shaped, round, oval or slender and long. Raw mangoes are usually green, while skin of a ripe mango can be a combination of yellow, orange, red and green. All mangoes have just one flat seed in the flesh. Ripe mango flesh can be a combination of yellow, orange and golden colors. The famous mango types are Nam Dok Mai, Kiaw Sa Woei, Thong Dam, Ok Rhong, Raed, Pim Sian. Nang Klang Wan.

Depending on the type of mango, it can be better to eat mangoes either ripe or raw. Two mango types - Nam Dok Mai and Ok Rhong - are usually eaten when ripe. Mangoes with Sticky Rice (Khao Niaw Ma Muang) is the famous dessert which includes ripe mangoes. Two other mango types - Kiaw Sa Woei and Raed - are best eaten raw for purposes of the following well-known dishes: Mango Salad (Yum Ma Muang - spicy shredded raw mangoes) and Crispy Shredded Catfish with Raw Mango Salad (Yum Pla Duk Foo).

Mangoes are also used to make ice cream, juice, milkshakes, as well as pickled mango (Ma Muang Dong), dry pickled mango (Ma Muang Chae Im), or air dried pureed mango (Ma Muang Kuan). Asian grocery stores in America often do not have Thai mangoes, but may have products made from Thai mangoes. For Mangoes with Sticky Rice, mangoes from Mexico or the Philippines are probably the best substitute for Thai mangoes. Mexican mangoes have been sold by Costco - just wait until the mangoes are ripe and the skin is very yellow. Mangoes from the Philippines may be better, but they are equally if not more difficult to find. [Read Mango Article]

This is a fan-shaped mushroom that is white, light gray or sometimes light gray with a bluish tinge in color. It has a slight odor similar to licorice and a tender texture. The taste is reminiscent of oysters. These mushrooms are commonly used in soups like Tom Yum Gai, Tom Kha Gai. Some may use in stir-fry dishes or salad.

Pandanus leaves are used in many desserts and snacks to provide flavoring. They enhance coconut milk and other sweet liquids. They also are used to flavor some curry dishes and rice, as well as to wrap food such as chicken, in addition to serving as containers for other desserts such as cakes. The leaves are used to create a green food coloring as well. The US often has artificial versions, but sometimes an Asian food market in the states will carry frozen pandanus leaves from Thailand. Sometimes these are better than the fresh ones flown in occasionally from Hawaii.

Fresh leaves are generally long and slender - they are usually torn into strips and tied in a knot to remove them most easily from the tree. There are a wide variety of pandanus trees in Southeast Asia which provide many uses besides food, such as textiles, housing materials, medication (it is believed to have antiviral, anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties), decorations and other uses.

Famous dishes are Fried chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf, Green Sangkhaya Bai Toey, Ta Go, Sangkhaya Fak Thong, Mango with sticky rice, etc.

Pea eggplants are small pea-sized green eggplants with smooth skin. They go from light green to slightly yellow when ripe. They are best for eating when they are young and have a very light green color; they should be crisp to the bite and slightly bitter or tart in taste. The seeds should be crisp but soft. They are used in Thai curry. If the seeds are dark and somewhat tough, they are too ripe. Do not let them ripen too much since they become too bitter.

Pumpkin is also known as Winter Squash or Butternut Squash. Pumpkins are very versatile in Thai cooking, in which use is made of the leaves, flowers, seeds and the whole pumpkin. Thai pumpkins are very small compared to U.S. pumpkins. Thai pumpkins have rough dark green-yellow skin. In Thai cooking, pumpkins are used in various dishes in appetizers, main meal dishes and desserts.

Leaves are boiled and eaten with Nam Prig (dipping sauce). Flowers are used in Kaeng Liang or Kaeng Som. Pumpkins are used in different dishes, for example, Kaeng Liang, Kaeng Kae and Pad Fak Thong Sai Kai (stir-fried pumpkin with eggs). The famous desserts that use pumpkins are Sang Kha Ya Fak Thong (coconut custard in a hollowed pumpkin) and Kaeng Buat Fak Thong (pumpkins in coconut milk).

It is hard to find Thai pumpkins in the U.S. However, Japanese pumpkins, called Kabocha, are sold in most Asian grocery stores. Thai and Japanese pumpkins are very similar and can be used interchangeably.

Tamarind is considered one of the nine propitious trees in Thailand. It is an evergreen tree about 75 feet tall. Each leaf consists of 10-18 pairs of tiny leaflets. It also has light yellow flowers. The tree produces 3-6 inch long brown pods which contain an acidic pulp. These pods can be eaten fresh or used to make paste, drinks, skin cream or remedies for colds and constipation.

If you live outside of Thailand, fresh tamarind can now be found in some of your local grocery stores. If not, visit your nearest Asian stores, where you will likely find fresh and/or dried tamarind, tamarind paste, tamarind juice or even concentrated tamarind in a cube form. To store, keep in a refrigerator or freezer for longer use.

Thai eggplants are a white color with green stripes, small and round, about the size of a golf ball. Thai eggplants are key ingredients in curry dishes. In green curry, Thai eggplants are quartered and cooked in the curry sauce so that they absorb the flavor of the sauce while they soften. In addition, alongside nam prik they are eaten as a fresh vegetable.

Winter Melon is also known as White Gourd or Ash Gourd. There are several names in Thailand depending on the region. For example, in the central plains region, it is called Fak (ฟัก) or Fak Khao (ฟักขาว) or Fak Fang (ฟักแฟง), the northeastern region calls it "Bak Fak (บักฟัก)," the northern region calls it "Fak Mon (ฟักหม่น)" and the southern region calls it "Khee Prah (ขี้พร้า)."

Winter Melon comes from a vine grown for its large fruit, eaten as a vegetable. The young fruit has tiny hairs on the skin but when mature the fruit loses its hairs and has a waxy coating instead. The fruit has a cylindrical shape with light green skin. The meat inside the fruit is white, juicy and condensed with seeds in the core.

In Thailand, Winter Melon is one of the first vegetables introduced as solid food to a baby. It is easy to eat and digest. There are several dishes that use Winter Melon, for example, Green curry, Kaeng Liang, Winter Melon with chicken broth, Kaeng Leuang or stir-fried pork with Winter Melon.