15 Spices and Herbs That Make Thai Dishes Special

Thai food uses a variety of spices and natural flavorings to give it its unique and delicious tastes. Many of its ingredients also have health benefits. Discover its top 15 flavorsome ingredients and their representative dishes below.

1. Lemongrass

Lemongrass is the most common ingredient in Thai cooking. It has a special lemon-and-lime scent and flavor. Thai people often use it by chopping it into small pieces and mixing into salads, soups, and curries. Sometimes, lemongrass is used as a herbal tea in Thailand. Because of its strong smell, it can also be made into a repellent for flies and mosquitoes.

Lemongrass

It is said that lemongrass can relieve pain, reduce fever, and improve the circulation.

Thai dishes featuring lemongrass: lemongrass Thai chicken, green curry

2. Garlic

As an important ingredient in Thai cooking, garlic can be found in most stir-fried dishes as well as curries and soups. The underground bulbs are often used as a flavoring base in Thai dishes. Garlic is also a common ingredient in other Asian countries. Thai people typically chop garlic bulbs into small pieces and cook them with vegetables.

Garlic

Some people like to eat the raw bulbs as they are believed to lessen the risk of many diseases, such as cancer. It is regarded as an important food to protect the blood system and heart.

Thai dishes featuring garlic: Thai garlic chicken, Thai basil chicken

3. Ginger

Introduced from Chinese cooking styles, ginger has become a common spice in Thai cooking. Ginger is often used in cooking fish and other seafood-related dishes in south Asian countries. This spicy ingredient can transform the otherwise insipid smell of fish and other seafoods into a pleasant aroma.

Ginger

It can also be processed into an oil or juice, which can be used in many ways. It is said that ginger has anti-nausea and immunity-increasing qualities, and many other medical benefits.

Thai dishes featuring ginger: gai pad king (ginger chicken stir-fry), steamed fish

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4. Green and Red Chili

Chilies are the major spicy ingredients in Thai cooking. Dried chilies or fresh chilies are often used in making spicy dishes in Thailand, which are a favorite of many Thai people. There are many kinds of chilies in Thailand. The most common one is the bird's eye chili (a red chili), which is the hottest chili in Thailand.

Green and Red Chili

Green and red chilies are used every day in Thai cooking. Spicy dishes can drive away colds (they are rich in vitamin C) and gloomy feelings. If you feel you are catching a cold or are in a low mood, just add more chili to your food.

Thai dishes featuring chilies: red curry, green curry, and Panang curry

5. Pepper

Like chilies, pepper is also an important spice and condiment in Thai cooking. Both black and white pepper are used in all kinds of Thai dishes. The final touch is often adding the pepper when making traditional Thai dishes. You will taste this flavoring in most dishes and soups in Thailand.

It is often used as a substitute for a diaphoretic (something to induce sweating) and it reduces fever.

Pepper

Thai dishes featuring pepper: chicken kra pao (Thai basil and pepper chicken)

6. Shallots

Shallots are often used as counterparts of garlic when cooking Thai curries and fish sauces. They can also be used as a condiment for Thai dishes, especially fried rices. It's Thai name hom means 'good smell', from which you can tell the taste of shallots is held in high regard in Thailand.

Shallots

Thai dishes featuring shallots: Thai-style fried shallots

7. Tamarind

Tamarind is a kind of sweet and sour fruit found in Thailand. It is commonly used as the sour ingredient in Thai cuisine. The green tamarind has a tangy acidic taste that can't be eaten raw. After cooking it with other food, tamarind creates a delicious sour flavor, which is used in all kinds of Thai soups, curry pastes, and desserts.

Tamarind

Thai dishes featuring tamarind: tamarind chicken stir-fry, tamarind chicken soup

8. Marsh Mint

Thai people use the green leaves of marsh mint to add a fresh flavor to Thai cuisine. They can be cooked with the food or used as a decoration of certain dishes. The aroma of marsh mint in soup or curries makes the dishes tastier.

Marsh Mint

Marsh mint has therapeutic uses in improving digestion and reducing the symptoms of fever.

Thai dishes featuring marsh mint: tom yum soup, Thai-style fried noodles, steamed fish

9. Turmeric

Turmeric looks much the same as the ginger. It is a source of yellow coloring in Thai cuisine. Its special aroma makes it one of the most popular spices in Thai cooking. Turmeric powder is often used in Thai curries and chicken dishes. Turmeric can also be eaten in raw.

Turmeric

Having the benefits of being an anti-flatulent and stomachic (aiding digestion), turmeric is an important spice in Thai cuisine.

Thai dishes featuring turmeric: wok-fried seafood, yellow curry

10. Basil Leaves

Basil is divided into holy basil, sweet basil, and lemon basil in Thailand. They have much the same leaves and flavor. Fresh basil leaves are often used as a flavoring in Thai cuisines.

The world-famous dish — pad kra pao ('basil and pepper chicken', mentioned above) uses basil leaves as one of its main flavorings. Because of their distinct aroma and flavor, green basil leaves are often seen on top of soups and Thai curries. Basil leaves have good effects as a stomachic, improving digestion.

Basil leaves

Thai dishes featuring basil: beef green curry, Thai basil beef stir-fry, Thai basil shrimp

11. Kaffir Lime

Kaffir limes are the zestiest kind of citrus fruit in Thailand. They are used to create a sour flavor in Thai cuisine. The tangy aroma makes mouths water. The lime's juice is the main application, which is often used as a garnish for fish and meat dishes.

Kaffir lime

Kaffir lime has anti-flu, pro-digestion, and other helpful properties.

Thai dishes featuring kaffir lime: green curry, fish curry, coconut curry

12. Coriander

Coriander is quite useful in all its parts, including its leaves, stems, seeds, and roots. Green coriander leaves are used to garnish fish, chicken, and other meat dishes. The roots are often cooked with other meats and curries. To make coriander paste smell good, you should first cook the roots for some time to release their deeper flavors.

Thai dishes featuring coriander: red curry paste, oxtail soup, red curry

13. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a well-known spice in Asian countries. It tastes mildly sweet. Thai people use cinnamon to spice up soups and stews. Cinnamon can be used as an anti-exhaustion tonic. If you are feeling tired, then try to eating some cinnamon braised beef to cheer you up next time.

Cinnamon

Thai dishes featuring cinnamon: braised beef stew, pa lo soup (chicken soup)

14. Cumin

Cumin is well-known for its strong and distinctive aroma. It is a must-add ingredient for all kinds of Thai curries. Dried cumin seeds are pounded and mixed into curry paste to get a tangy flavor. Besides curries, cumin can be found in many other Thai sauces. If you eat a dish with a strong aroma in Thailand, there must be cumin in it!

Cumin

Cumin has some health benefits, including stomachic (pro-digestion), tonic, and carminative (flatulence-relieving) effects.

Thai dishes featuring cumin: red curry, yellow curry

15. Galangal (Thai Ginger)

Galangal is similar to ginger, both as a root spice and in flavor. Compared to ginger, galangal has a much more complex and milder flavor, and is actually used more often in native Thai food, despite appearing last on our list. (It is often substituted for common ginger outside Thailand.)

Galangal

In many places in South Asia, galangal is used as a condiment for chicken and other meat soups. A delicious taste can be enjoyed by mixing galangal juice and sliced boiled chicken meat together.