Thai Herbs and Spices

Shallot, hom lek, or hom daeng, Allium ascalonicum, is the zesty small red onion favored in Thai cooking.

Kaffir lime, ma-krut, Citrus hystrix, has green fruits with wrinkled skin. The rind and the leaves are used in cookery.

Chilies, phrik, Capsicum annuum, of several varieties are available in Thailand. As they ripen, they change color from green to red and become hotter. Fully ripe fruits are dried in the sun to give dried chilies, phrik haeng, pounded for ground dried chili, bell chili, phrik yuak, is light green in color and mild in taste. They are used in spicy salads and chili pastes for their fragrance, and in stir-fried meat dishes for both flower and aroma.

Water mimosa , phak ka-chet, Neptunia oleracea, has small dark green compound leaves and a smooth green stern encased in a white foam like material which is stripped off before use.

Swamp cabbage, phak bung, Ipomoea aquatica, also called water convolvulus, water spinach, or aquatic morning glory, has hollow stems and roughly triangular leaves.

Kale, phak kha-na, Brassica oleracea(acephala variety), has leathery grey - green leaves on thick stalks.

Sponge gourd, buap liam, Luffa acutangula, also called vegetable gourd or Chinese okra, is oblong, pointed, and dark green and has sharp longitudinal ridges.

Bitter gourd, ma-ra, Mornordica charantia, also called bitter cucumber, carilla fruit, or balsam pear, is an oblong fruit, pointed at one end, which has a handsome pale green surface covered with an irregular pattern of ridges.

Spring onion, ton hom, Allium fistulosum, also called green onion or scallion, has leaves that are circular in cross section.

Garlic plant, ton kra-thiarn, Allium sativum, is the young plant picked before the bulb has formed. The leaves are flat and folded length-wise.

Celery, kheun chai, Apium graveolens, also called celeriae, tuniprooted celery, or Chinese soup celery, has very small stalks (only a few millimeters across) and a very strong flower.