The Fresh Gems of Thai Cooking
September 22nd 2009 21:38
I've always loved Thai food, but was especially enlightened during my travel around Thailand where I experienced (first-hand) the beautiful explosion of flavours in Thai cooking. Not to mention, the wonderful fresh Thai herbs that are easily available everywhere (and cheap!) there.
My Thai dishes *usually* include Thai basil, lemongrass, lime and chillies …at the very least…
Lemongrass
A tall and rather wild-looking tropical grass, the lemongrass is far from just being a weed. Its fresh stalks and leaves have a clean lemon-like aroma similar to many citrus peels.
Only the lower portion of its stalk is used in cooking. It can either be lightly bruised and used whole or sliced into thin pieces. It’s a key ingredient in many dishes across Asia particularly where spices and curries are a norm. It's available fresh and in a jar. Tip: How to prepare lemongrass for cooking, here
Thai Basil
(also known as Anise/Licorice Basil or Sweet Basil)
It has small dark green leaves with purple stems and flower buds, and is very fragrant! With an aniseed-like taste, it’s a lovely ingredient in a stir-fry, curry or as a garnish. To use, just wash and pluck of the leaves – to add more flavour to the dish, the stems and flower buds can be added to it. It’s lovely and does give the dish an added dimension. It's available fresh at the markets and most Asian stores.
Kaffir Lime Leaves
Beautiful fragrant leaves from the kaffir lime tree. A nice-to-have for an added citrus-like taste, and I usually have that handy in a jar. It's available fresh and in a jar.
Bird Chillies
Similar to regular chillies, but smaller and spicier. It's available fresh and in dried flakes.
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Thanks Anne