![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/thai-herbs-300x225.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOne of the things I’ve learned from traveling around the world is that some foods have different names depending on the region. Spices, in particular, go by many names. Some of the spices you’ll find in Thailand are indigenous to the region an you may not be familiar with them, but they’re what make the food so great. \u00a0Before you go, here’s what you should know.<\/p>\n
Spices:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kha – one of my favorites,\u00a0\u0e02\u0e48\u0e32 or galangal (a root similar to ginger) is used in many dishes, especially soups.<\/p>\n
Khing –\u00a0\u0e02\u0e34\u0e07 or ginger, is used in a lot of stir fry dishes.<\/p>\n
Bai Makrut –\u00a0\u0e43\u0e1a\u0e21\u0e30\u0e01\u0e23\u0e39\u0e14 or kaffir lime leaves are used in soups, curries, or chopped finely into meat dishes like larb. Don’t eat a whole leaf. If you love kaffir lime leaves, buy them in Thailand where they’re much less expensive. (just keep them in their original packaging so you don’t run into issues at customs)<\/p>\n
Bai toei –\u00a0\u0e43\u0e1a\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32\u0e19\u0e32\u0e07 or pandan leaves are very common in the region. Pandan leaves are often wrapped around beef, chicken or other foods and deep fried. \u00a0They’re very edible when cooked.<\/p>\n
Takhrai –\u00a0\u0e15\u0e30\u0e44\u0e04\u0e23\u0e49 or lemongrass is a highly used spice\/herb. I love lemongrass flavored tea now!<\/p>\n
Phrik khi nu –\u00a0\u0e1e\u0e23\u0e34\u0e01\u0e02\u0e35\u0e49\u0e2b\u0e19\u0e39 or Chili \u00a0is literally translated as\u00a0mouse-dropping chili. No wonder most people call them Thai Chili.<\/p>\n
![\"dried-chili-peppers\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/dried-chili-peppers-300x199.jpg\")
\nYou should also be familiar with a few pastes\/condiments that are frequently used and include many of the favorite Thai spices:<\/p>\n
Kapi –\u00a0\u0e01\u0e30\u0e1b\u0e34 or shrimp paste can be smelled a mile away. It’s made by\u00a0fermenting ground shrimp and salt.<\/p>\n
Nam pla –\u00a0\u0e19\u0e49\u0e33\u0e1b\u0e25\u0e32 or fish sauce is used extensively in Thai cooking. You’ll also recognize the smell, but depending on its use, you may not notice the flavor. \u00a0Believe it or not, there’s a more pungent version of fish sauce called Pla Ra or\u00a0\u0e1b\u0e25\u0e32\u0e23\u0e49\u0e32.<\/p>\n
Si-io dam or\u00a0Si-io khao –\u00a0\u0e0b\u0e35\u0e2d\u0e34\u0e49\u0e27\u0e14\u0e33 or\u00a0\u0e0b\u0e35\u0e2d\u0e34\u0e49\u0e27\u0e02\u0e32\u0e27 is soy sauce! The first is dark soy and second is light soy and it’s pronounced (soya dam or soya cow)<\/p>\n
![\"street-food5\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/street-food5-300x226.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Other staples:<\/p>\n
Manao – the most common fruit, almost none of the locals will know it by its English name, lime. Thai’s serve lime with almost every noodle and rice dish and you may find yourself asking for more manao (man ow)\u00a0\u0e21\u0e30\u0e19\u0e32\u0e27<\/p>\n
Farang – besides a slang word referring to tourists, farang is a guava. \u0e1d\u0e23\u0e31\u0e48\u0e07\u00a0(fah rang)<\/p>\n
Khao – you might be familiar with the word Khao because it’s common in may city names (Khao Lak for example). Khao is a word you should learn as it’s a staple in the Thai diet, it means rice\u00a0\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27 (cow)<\/p>\n
There are dozens, actually thousands, of words you could learn, but learning just a few will help you get along in Thailand, especially when ordering food.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of the things I’ve learned from traveling around the world is that some foods have different names depending on the region. Spices, in particular, go by many names. Some of the spices you’ll find in Thailand are indigenous to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"Learn Your Thai Spices & A Few Other Things #F2B","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[91,44],"tags":[749,467,466],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n