Thai Herbs - Kraprao, Lemon, Lemon Grass, Pepper, Pumpkin and Shallots in Thai Food

Krapao

Kra prao or sacred basil is used in Kaeng Pha, Kaeng Kae and some spicy fried meat dishes to reduce the smell of the fish meat. Fresh leaves are sprinkled on food before removing from heat.

Benefits:

- Reduce sugar in blood

- Release tension

- Stomachic

Kra Prao Use in Thai Food:

- Khao Phad Kra Prao

Lemon

Lemon juice is used to make a sour taste in Tom Yam, Som Tum, Phla, spicy salads and many chili pastes and also lemon juice for drinks.

Benefits:

- Expectorant

- Carminative

- Antiscorbutic

Lemon Use in Thai Food:

- Tom Yum Kung

- Tom Kha Kai

- Som Tum

Lemon Grass

Lemon grass is spicy and bitter and used for seasoning the Thai food and as the main ingredient in every recipe of Kaeng Phed, spicy salads and Tom Yam.

Benefits:

- Antibacterial, Fungal, Yeast

- Diuretic

Lemon grass Use in Thai Food:

- Tom Yum Kung

- Tom Kha Kai

- Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai

- Beef Masaman

- Kai Phad Phed

- Phanaeng Kai

- Nam Ya Pla

Pepper

Pepper is popularly found in every kind of chili paste, in soup together with coriander root and garlic and as well sprinkle in for a good smell. It is normally used in cooking of Kaeng Phed, Kaeng Pa and Phad Phed.

Benefits:

- Expectorant

- Diuretic

- Stomachic /colic

- Digestive

Pepper Use in Thai Food:

- Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai

- Beef Masaman

- Kaeng Liang

- Kai Phad Phed

- Phanaeng Kai

- Khao Phad Kra Prao

Pumpkin

Fresh leaves and young flowers are blanched or boiled to supplement with the chilli paste. Its flowers are used as ingredients in Kaeng Lieng and Kaeng Som. Besides, the ripe pumpkins are used in many dishes both soups and fried dishes. It is also good to make many recipes of desserts; pumpkin boiled in syrup and pumpkin in coconut syrup.

Benefit:

- beta carotene

Pumpkin Use in Thai Food:

- Kaeng Liang

Shallot

Shallots are used to reduce meat savory and as seasoning and also the main ingredient in chili paste for Kaeng Phed, Tom Kloong, Kaeng Lieng, Tom Yam, Lhun, Yam, Larb and Nam Prik and as well in some desserts.

Benefits:

- Stomachic

- Catarrh relief

Shallot use in Thai Food:

- Tom Yum Kung

- Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai

- Beef Masaman

- Kaeng Liang

- Kai Phad Phed

- Phanaeng Kai

- Phad Thai

- Khao Phad Kra Prao

- Nam Ya Pla

A Guide to Tasty Thai Food

Food from Thailand has become increasingly popular in the western world during the past decade. Many Thai restaurants have sprung up in all the major cities and town. Thai food can be found available as pre cooked ready meals in the major supermarkets along with many of the main ingredients if one chooses to have a go at cooking it at home.

There are good reasons why Thai food has become so popular. Many more people are discovering Thailand and its exotic cuisine whilst on holiday and wish to be reminded after returning home. The rise in living standards has given people more opportunities to eat out and try previously unaffordable eastern dishes.

Thai food is renowned for being full of flavour and spice. The Thais like their food very spicy and to the western palate this can often make the food inedible, being far too hot. Fortunately the food can be eaten with fewer spices whilst keeping its full fresh flavour.

Thai dishes are quick to cook, most taking less than 12 minutes to prepare.

Thai food is usually eaten with rice or noodles, which compliment the main dishes, such as curries, stir fries, salads, soups and sauces. Thai food is usually a mixture of salty, hot, sweet and sour tastes.

Some of the most popular Thai dishes include Green Curry, Somtam, Tom Kha and Tom Yam.

Thais usually eat with a spoon but chopsticks can be used for eating noodles.

Thais take their food seriously and often use the phrase 'have you eaten yet?' as a greeting instead of the commonly used 'hello' that most westerners use. They also have a popular phrase 'full heart' to sum up their feeling of contentment after eating a good meal.

What Is The First Thing You Should Have When Cooking Thai Food?

Today is a first lesson. Oh! I do not want to call it a lesson because it sounds too formal. It is our first chat about Thai cooking. My friends always keep asking me if they want to cook Thai food, what is the first thing they should have? That is my topic today. When you see my question above. What is your answer ? you might think about something like cooking skills, inspiration, creative idea or any other big words. No! it is not what I mean. Actually, I just want to ask you what you should have (in the kitchen) when cooking Thai food. Basically, there are 5 things that you should have in your kitchen when cooking Thai food. These are:

1. Fish sauce

2. Light soy sauce

3. Dark soy sauce

4. Oyster sauce

5. Garlic

That is it. I think 90% of Thai food will use 2-3 of those stuffs when cooking. So now you know what you should have in your kitchen if you want to cook Thai food. Do not waste your time. Go buy it now.You can buy those 5 stuffs from any supermarket near you. The total price should not be more than $10.00 and you can use it for a year.

Okay, that is all for today. Next time we will start cooking Thai food. Do not worry. As I told you my blog will teach you how to cook Thai food with easy step by step. You can cook it like a pro for sure. I guarantee !

See you next time.

Thai Food and Culture

Thai Superstitions Surrounding Food

In Thailand, meals are traditionally eaten in a group setting. Unlike in America, the Thais believe it is bad luck to eat alone. Considering the Thais eat in large groups, it's therefore not surprising that a typical Thai dinner consists of three or more different dishes. And since, in Thailand, it is bad luck to throw food away, normally all of these dishes would be consumed in one sitting. Discarding food might anger the Thai "god of rice", a female deity who watches over the people, ensuring everyone has enough to eat. Bad luck or even widespread famine may ensue if food goes uneaten or is needlessly wasted.

A Typical Thai Meal

In Thailand, a typical meal would consist of the following:

One or two curry dishes, such as green, yellow, or red curry. These might be made with red meat, poultry, tofu, vegetables, or seafood, depending on the region and what protein sources are readily available.

A noodle dish such as Pad Thai noodles. These flavorful rice noodles might be made with tofu, chicken, or prawns.

A vegetable stir-fry dish made with just one or a variety of fresh local vegetables.

With all meals, Thai jasmine-scented rice is served on the side. Dessert may consist of something as simple as fresh fruit such as pineapple or papaya. For a beverage, most Thais enjoy their meal with a cold lager or a cool drink such as lime water or Thai iced tea.

How do Thais eat?

You've probably noticed that most Thai restaurants provide chopsticks to their patrons. And while the Chinese did bring chopsticks to Thailand several centuries ago, today most Thais prefer to use Western cutlery-but in their own special way. Thai cutlery generally consists of a fork and large spoon (tablespoon). The spoon is held in the right hand and used (in place of a knife) to cut meat as well as to scoop up the food (in place of a fork).

When eating, most Americans load up their plates with various types of food, as at a buffet table. In contrast, the Thais do not combine various foods on their plates, but rather, they sample one dish at a time, always eaten with a mound of Thai jasmine-scented rice on the side. Unlike the Chinese style, bowls are used mainly for soup, not in place of a plate.

Finally, just for fun, encourage your family or guests to eat like the Thais do, sampling one dish at a time and eating with a spoon and fork. Most of all, take the time to enjoy your good health, your friends and loved ones, and last but not least, the wonderful Thai food on your plate. After all, good food truly is a reason to celebrate!

The Scent Of Thai Food

Thai food is globally popular due to its tasty combination of sweet, sour and saltiness, appetizingly enhanced by tanginess from an assortment of chilies used in typical dishes. This flavorful blend which has become characteristic of traditional Thai food remains distinctive in local fare until present days.

Thai food combines the best of several Eastern cuisines: the oriental bite of Szechwan Chinese, the tropical flavour of Malaysian, the creamy coconut sauces of Southern Indian and the aromatic spices of Arabian food. Thais then add an abundance of fresh ingredients, coriander plants, chilies and pepper. The result is like a cuisine minceur' of the Orient, with small portions of lean meat, poultry and seafood, and plenty of fresh vegetables and salads.

Thai food is lightly cooked so it's crisp, colourful, sharply flavoured and nutritious. The distinctive taste comes from a handful of fundamental ingredients, all widely available at Asian foodstores. Ingredients that are essential in Thai cooking are spices and herbs, which, beside their aromatic quality, are known to have diverse health benefits. The essence of many types of herbs can aid in regularizing the circulatory system of the body. The knowledge of using herbs in Thai cooking, derived from traditional Thai medicine, makes Thai food a healthy choice in a real sense.

A Thai meal normally consists of a variety of dishes such as a curry, a soup, a stir-fry and a dipping sauce or salad. There is normally a balance of spicy and mild dishes with at least one mild dish to counter the spicy dishes.

Thai cooking is not difficult. Once you are familiar with the main ingredients and we can guarantee that you will amaze yourself with the delicious food that you can cook. The Thai way of life is laid back and this translates into their cooking too, so do not worry too much, relax, keep a smile on your face and enjoy!

What Has Thai Food Got To Offer For Vegetarians?

For good reasons, Thai cuisine is one of the most popular in the world. Although popularly described as a single cuisine, Thai food is actually best characterized as a combination of four regional cuisines coming from Northern, Northeastern, Central and Southern Thailand.

A glance at the menus of Thai restaurants in western countries suggests that there is almost no place for vegetarian food in Thai cuisine. However, this is not the truth. Most Thai dishes consist of rice with vegetables, meat and sauce on top. Meat and fish or sea food are viewed as just one portion of a meal and not as the primary ingredient of the meal. Much of the flavour of Thai food comes from the sauces and vegetables, so you can frequently substitute bean curd or other ingredients that you do eat for the specified meat.

Below, you will find a vegetarian meal from Central Thailand.

Vegetarian Thai Stew

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes

2 carrots

2 onions

3 cakes of tofu (bean curd)

250 grams of ricestraw mushrooms

15-20 small cherry tomatoes

150 grams of green beans

1 tbsp of light soy sauce

1 tbsp of dark soy sauce

3 cups of vegetable stock

2 tbsp of arrowroot starch

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

Wash and cut the tomatoes into pieces and then fry them in the oil.

Cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces and the onions into quarters.

Wash the mushrooms and cut them into halves.

Cut the tofu into flat pieces, about 1/2-inch thick.

Marinate the tofu in dark soy sauce for about 20 minutes.

Fry the marinated tofu until it's brown and firm.

Add the vegetables, soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Mix the starch with water and add it to the stew.

Boil the stew for a few seconds and serve it in a warm bowl.

Thai Food and Great Dishes to Prepare

Do you love authentic Thai dishes as well as American Thai combos? If you do and you love to eat such food, you are not alone, in fact these types of foods are amongst my favorites too. So, let me recommend a most excellent cookbook for you, one I am sure you will enjoy and thank me for later. The cookbook to which I refer is:

"Tommy Tang's Modern Thai Cuisine" by Tommy Tang; Double Day Publishing, New York, NY; 1991.

Tommy Tang is a master chef and owner of fine Thai Restaurants in Los Angeles and New York. This book has over 90 Thai Recipes in it, much more than his menu and many of these recipes are illustrated. This cookbook is unique in that it has a glossary of all the ingredients in the front and if you buy all those for your kitchen you will be able to prepare any of the fine dishes in the book. This sure makes it easy to make great Thai food at home.

I think you will enjoy the Thai Chili Fish and Thai Pasta, of course, for me it is hard to decide which is better Tommy's Duck recipe or his special sushi. Tommy dedicated this book to his mom with a great poem and judging by his generosity in sharing all this with the world, I'd say Tommy is the real deal and I'll be happy to eat in any of his restaurants, if I do not cook his delicious dishes in my own custom kitchen. This book is a must for those who wish to cook Thai food at home.

Tommy has a unique way of mixing and matching cultures to find the best of everything, some of the dishes are pure Thai and others are modified to fit nearly anyone's taste buds. The juries in; Tommy Rocks.