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Fish Sauce (Naam Pla)
Known as the salt of south east Asia, fish sauce is essential
to Thai cuisine. The fish sauce industry is centred along
the Gulf of Thailand coast. A variety of small fishes are
used to make naam plaa icluding, shrimp, squid and
anchovies. Harvested from the gulf, the fish are
sun dried and stored in barrels with an exact ratio of salt
and water, and left to ferment until it turns into a highly
aromatic brown liquid, which is filtered, pasteurised and
bottled. The most famous and reliable brand is 'Thiparot.'
When dining in Thailand, restaurants will offer a fresh saucer
of phrik nam plaa (fish sauce with chillies)
which should be used to season your rice. For the chilli shy,
you can simply ask for nam pla, without the heat.
Roasted Chilli Paste
(Nahm prik pow)
This is a 'secret ingredient' which often gives Thai dishes
its extra kick and flavour. The paste contains chillies that
have been roasted and mixed with a variety of ingredients
including shrimp paste, garlic, tamarind and
palm sugar. The result is an intensely spicy but
sweet chilli 'jam' that can be used to flavour an abundance
of marinades and soups. Its sweetness also makes it a likable
ready-to-use spread to put on toast, crackers or shrimp chips
for a quick snack.
Two good brands of pre-packaged roasted chilli paste are available
in Southeast Asian markets are Pantainorasingh
(labeled as "chilli paste with soya bean oil) in 8 oz.
and 16 oz. glass jars and Mae Ploy ("chilli
in oil") in 14 oz. plastic tubs. Since the combination
of flavours and level of hotness and sweetness can vary considerably
from brand to brand, make adjustments as necessary in cooking
with recipes to flavour dishes to your liking.
Herbs
Thai cuisine depends heavily on the availability of a variety
of fresh herbs. Without them, it is difficult to get the intensity
of flavours required to make a truly authentic Thai dish.
In Thailand, lemongrass, kaffir lime and
galangal grow practically everywhere and these three
ingredients make up the base of most Thai dishes. Although
lemongrass is now readily available worldwide, you may need
a bigger quantity in your dishes to get the same effect. Dried
kaffir lime leaves can be found in supermarkets however, the
flavour can be intensified by adding the rind of a fresh lime.
If galangal is not available, ginger can
often be substituted. The importance is to use as many fresh
(not dried) herbs as possible to get the 'full kick' of a
Thai dish.
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