Kaffir Thai Cuisine

Thai cooking is really complex because it draws on the many surrounding countries' cuisines to influence it. Some of the countries around Thailand that influence its culinary experiences are Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma, Laos, Malaysia and Cambodia.

The two main types of curries used in Thai cuisine are water-based curries and coconut-based curries. Thai chefs use a combination of herbs, chilies and spices to create water-based or coconut-based curries with a variety of mouth watering flavors.

Galangal, a common spice found in Thai cuisine, was once regarded as the spice of life by St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). The spice, which is thought to have many health benefits, was one of her favorite remedies for everything from deafness to heart disease.

Thai curries differ from other curries in that most non-Thai curries are made from powdered or ground dried spies, whereas Thai curries rely on fresh herbs as their main ingredients.

What is the most popular spice in Thai cuisine? Curry - known as gaeng phet. Different types of curries are used in a number of Thai dishes to highlight specific ingredients and to create dishes with flavors ranging from mild to super spicy.