This is a list of ingredients found in Thai cuisine.
Herbs and spices
Fresh herbs and spices ImageThai nameThai scriptEnglish nameDescription and useBai bua bokใบบัวบกCentella asiatica Indian pennywortUsually made into iced drink.Bai toeiใบเตยPandan or screwpine leavesThis sweet smelling leaf is used for flavouring different sweet snacks/desserts. It is also used in the well known dish Kai ho bai toei, deep fried chicken wrapped in pandanus leaves, as well as to stuff the belly of barbecued fishBai yanangใบย่านางTiliacora triandra Leaves used in the preparation of kaeng no mai som (), sometimes called kaeng lao ().Kuichaiกุยช่ายAllium tuberosum Chinese chivesCloser in flavour to garlic than onions. Used to season cooking and is used in stir fries such as pad Thai. Comes in green and yellow varieties. HoraphaโหระพาThai sweet basilA variety of the sweet basil with a taste of anise. It is used in different curries such as red and green curry and often also served separately.Khaข่าGalangalThe perfume-like scent and flavour of the galangal root is characteristic for many Thai curries and spicy soups.Khaminขมิ้นTurmericThis yellow coloured root is often used in dishes of Muslim/Southern Thai origin and in Northern Thailand for Northern style curries.KhingขิงGingerEither served raw (shredded or diced) with dishes such as miang kham and khanom chin sao nam, in certain chilli dips, or in stir fried dishes of Chinese origin.KrachaiกระชายFingerrootThis root has a slightly medicinal flavour and is used in certain fish dishes and curries. KaphraoกะเพราHoly basilHoly basil has a distinctive scent of clove and reddish tipped leaves. It is used, for instance, in the well-known Phat kaphrao (minced meat fried with holy basil).KrathiamกระเทียมGarlicBesides being used cooked or fried, garlic is used raw in many dips and salad dressings. It is also served raw on the side with several Thai dishes such as Khao kha mu (stewed pork leg served on rice) or as one of the ingredients for dishes such as Miang kham.MaenglakแมงลักLemon basilThe leaves are used in certain curries. It is also indispensable with khanom chin namya. The seeds resemble frog's eggs when soaked in water and are used in sweet desserts.Phak chiผักชีCoriander/cilantro leavesThe leaves are seen often as a garnish with many Thai dishes. It is indispensable for tom yam soup.Phak chi farangผักชีฝรั่งCulantroA herb often seen in spicy soups and Northern curries. It literally means "European coriander", perhaps because it was brought from the Caribbean to Thailand by Europeans.Phak chi laoผักชีลาวDillFresh dill is used mainly in certain soups and in curries from north-eastern Thailand which do not contain coconut milk. It literally means "coriander from Laos" in Thai.Phak phaiผักไผ่Vietnamese corianderThe Persicaria odorata is used sparingly in Thai cuisine. It is indispensable with lap lu, a Northern Thai dish of raw minced pork, beef or buffalo, and blood, with spices, herbs and leaves.Phrik chi faพริกชี้ฟ้าChilli spur pepperCapsicum annuum L. var. acuminatum Fingerh. is a medium-sized chilli and less spicy than the phrik khi nu, it is often added to stir fried dishes and curries as a kind of "vegetable". Either red, yellow, or green in colour.Phrik khi nuพริกขี้หนูBird's eye chilliThis small chilli is one of the spiciest and used extensively in Thai cooking. The Thai name literally translates to "mouse-dropping chilli"Phrik khi nu suanพริกขี้หนูสวนGarden mouse dropping chilliThis variety of the phrik khi nu is even smaller and even more spicy.Phrik thai onพริกไทยอ่อนFresh peppercornsThai cuisine often uses fresh (green) peppercorns in stir fried dishes and in certain curries such as kaeng pa (so-called jungle curry).Phrik yuak; phrik wanพริกหยวก; พริกหวานWax pepper; sweet pepper; bell pepperVery large, mild tasting pale-green peppers which can be found in certain stir fried dishes or deep fried stuffed with, for instance, pork.Rak phak chiรากผักชีcoriander/cilantro rootThe roots of the coriandrum sativum are often used in curry pastes and certain soups such as tom yam kung.Saranaeสะระแหน่SpearmintUsed in many Thai salads and sometimes as a way to suppress the 'muddy' taste of certain fish when steamed.Takhraiตะไคร้Lemon grassUsed extensively in many Thai dishes such as curries, spicy soups and salads.MakrutมะกรูดMakrut lime, Kaffir lime, Thai limeCitrus hystrix. The leaves in particular are widely used.
Dried herbs and spices ImageThai nameThai scriptEnglish nameDescription and useDipliดีปลีLong pepperThe dried spice is used in many northern Thai dishes for its heat and flavour. It is most famously used in northern Thai lap.Dok ngio, dok ngiaoดอกงิ้ว, ดอกเงี้ยวBombax ceiba Cotton tree flowersThe dried flowers of the Bombax ceiba tree, they are used in northern Thai dishes such as nam ngiao.KanphluกานพลูClovesUsed in certain meat dishes, most notably in matsaman curry.Luk chan thetลูกจันทน์เทศNutmeg nutUsed in certain Indian style curries, most notably in matsaman curry.Makhwaenมะแขว่นZanthoxylum limonellaA type of prickly ash, and related to the Sichuan pepper, these seeds are used most often in northern Thai cuisine for their spicy, hot taste.NgaงาSesame seedThe oil from the sesame seed is not really used in Thai cuisine (unlike in Chinese cuisine). The seeds (black and white sesame) are mainly used whole in certain deep fried desserts such as thong muan ().OpchoeiอบเชยCassia cinnamonUsed in certain meat dishes, most notably in matsaman curry.Phong kariผงกะหรี่Curry powderThai curries are nearly always made with fresh pastes. Curry powder is only used when making certain Indian influenced curries, as well as in stir-fried dishes (often in combination with scrambled eggs) called phat phong kari.Phong phaloผงพะโล้Five-spice powderThe Chinese five-spice powder is used mainly in Thai-Chinese dishes such as mu phalo (pork stewed in soy sauce, )Phrik haengพริกแห้งDried chilliesDried chillies can be used in many ways in Thai cuisine: either ground into chilli flakes and used as a condiment, as an ingredient for Thai curry pastes, in chilli pastes and dips, or deep-fried and served whole with certain dishes.Phrik lap พริกลาบAn elaborate mix of dried spices used in lap Lanna, a category of minced meat salads from Northern Thailand. Some of the ingredients used in this spice mix are: coriander seed, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, prickly ash and long pepper.Phrik ponพริกป่นCrushed dried chillies, used extensively in Thai cuisine, for instance in lap, and for making several types of nam chim and nam phrik (dipping sauces and chilli pastes). Also served as one of the standard accompaniments to noodles soups.Phrik thai damพริกไทยดำBlack pepperPhrik thai (phrik thai khao)พริกไทย (พริกไทยขาว)White pepperThian khao plueakเทียนข้าวเปลือกFennel seedsMost often used as one of the spices in northern Thai phrik larb/lap.
Pastes, sauces and condiments ImageThai nameThai scriptEnglish nameDescription and useKapiกะปิThai shrimp pasteFermented ground shrimp and salt. It has a pungent aroma. It is used in red curry paste, in the famous chili paste called nam phrik kapi.Khrueang kaengเครื่องแกงThai curry pasteLiterally meaning "curry ingredients", Thai curry paste can be made fresh at home or bought freshly made at markets in Thailand or pre-packaged for export markets. Most khrueang kaeng will be a ground mixture of fresh or dried chillies, various spices and herbs, and other ingredients such as shrimp paste. Instead of khrueang kaeng, curry pastes can also be called nam phrik in Thailand, although this usually refers to chilli pastes which are eaten as part of a meal.Pla raปลาร้าSalt fermented fish sauceAlso a sauce made from fermented fish. It is more pungent than nam pla, and, in contrast to nam pla which is a clear liquid, pla ra is opaque and still contains pieces of fish. Also called pla daek.Taochiaoเต้าเจี้ยวYellow soybean pasteYellow soybean paste has a sweet-and-salty taste which is more "earthy" than that of soya sauce. It is used in the dish Phak bung fai daeng (stir-fried water spinach.Thua naoถั่วเน่าDried soybean disksMade from fermented soybeans in the form of round patties, within Thailand they are mainly used in northern Thai cuisine as a flavouring agent similar to how shrimp paste is used
Vegetables