Ingredients Guide
CHILLI PEPPERS
Whilst there are hundreds of chilli varieties, the two main ones we use are
Long Red and Green Peppers
Vary in heat but a good all round chilli with a mild flavour. The red ones are slightly sweeter.
Bird’s Eye Chilli
An intensely-flavoured compact chilli with thin skin. Excellent in south-east Asian dishes like curries, laksa, Thai salads and dipping sauces as well as curry paste. The unripe green bird’s eye has a more intense sharper flavour
GINGER
The flavour of ginger is often labeled as spicy, peppery, and either warm or hot, it can also be a bit sweet. Young ginger is very juicy, and has a much mellower flavour.
GALANGAL
Commonly found in Thailand, Indonesian, and Malaysian cooking. The skin of galangal is smoother and paler than ginger and its flesh is much harder. It can’t be grated like ginger can, but instead must be sliced. Galangal also has a much stronger flavour . It’s earthy, sharp, and citrusy.
GARLIC
LEMONGRASS
Used whole, chopped, or crushed into a paste, lemongrass adds light complex flavours of citrus and ginger with floral aromas and a hint of mint.
Used correctly lemongrass elevates a dish without over powering the other ingredients.
THAI SHALLOTS
Thai shallots have the sweetness of regular shallots, but with a more garlicky flavour. Small, oblong bulbs contain two to three cloves that when raw are pungent and sweet, but get more savory and caramel-like when cooked.
TURMERIC ROOT
Turmeric has a distinct flavour, which is one reason it is a primary ingredient for many curry pastes and powders. It has a potent peppery spice with an earthy, musky essence. Turmeric also gives some curry paste and spice mixes such as Madras curry power there distinguished yellow colour. It also has medical properties and is used in dying cloth.
KAFFIR LIME LEAVES
A citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia. Kaffir lime leaves have a earthier and sweeter taste than standard lime juice or zest, but with the same citrus base.
CORIANDER ROOT
While coriander leaves are chopped and used to flavour and garnish dishes, coriander root is used in making pastes as it has a mix of earthy, citrusy and spicy flavours.
KAEMPFER ROOT
Related to ginger, but has a different, distinctive flavour. It has a strong, sickly sweet taste, with a pungent aftertaste. Kaempfer is used in China and in south-east Asia, particularly in Javanese and Balinese cooking.
THAI BASIL
Thai basil is of Southeast Asian origin, and is a common ingredient among the cuisines of this region. It has a slightly spicy, aniseed like flavour. Thai Holy Basil is very similar but with a more peppery and clove like taste.
CANDLE NUTS
Candlenuts are often chopped up or ground into a paste for seasoning or to thicken curries. They’re somewhat creamy, nutty and leave a bitter after taste to dishes. A warning, candle nuts are toxic when eaten raw, however the toxicity dissipates upon cooking.
STAR ANISE
Star anise is subtly sweet with a slight licorice taste. Added to a dish star anise gives it a whole new depth and flavour. Used widely in Indonesian, North African and Middle eastern dishes.
