Updated on Sep. 16, 2024
Stocking your pantry with common Thai ingredients means you can cook a bounty of delicious dishes—from pad thai to tom yum soup—without having to order takeout.
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Fish sauce is Thai cuisine’s main salting agent. It’s made by fermenting anchovies with salt to create an umami-rich, salty seasoning that’s used in everything from salads and dips to stir-fries and curries like Thai red curry chicken. We also use it as an all-purpose tableside seasoning, much like salt and pepper in the West.
When it comes to choosing a brand, look for a fish sauce with few ingredients. The label should list no more than anchovies, salt and sugar. A high protein content also indicates a higher concentration of fish.
Soy sauce is an essential ingredient in our favorite Thai recipes, especially dishes that have their roots in Chinese cuisine. Thai soy sauce is quite light compared to Chinese and Japanese soy sauce. It also has a different flavor, though it’s OK to substitute regular soy sauce found at any grocery store.
If you must choose between dark and light, choose light. Dark soy sauce is primarily used to add color.
Oyster sauce is one of the mainstay Thai sauces used in many of our best stir-fry recipes. It’s an absolute must-have on any list of Thai food ingredients! Oyster sauce isn’t as salty as soy sauce or fish sauce; it’s sweeter and much thicker.
Though oyster sauce is primarily used for stir-fries, we also use it in dark broths for noodle soups and stews. Thai people have their own oyster sauce, but Chinese oyster sauce can be used interchangeably.
There are two grades of oyster sauce. The less expensive one has less oyster flavor, but it’s fine for everyday use. The more expensive premium sauce lists oyster extract as the first ingredient. It can be used for any dish, but I usually reserve it for recipes where it’s the main seasoning, like pad see ew.
Thai palm sugar is made from the reduced and caramelized nectar of coconut palm or sugar palm trees. It has a beautiful butterscotch-like flavor that is essential in Thai desserts and some savory dishes, such as pad thai.
Palm sugar comes in pucks or tubs. Simply shave the pucks with a knife like you would a block of chocolate. If you purchased a tub, spoon the sugar out if it’s soft enough. If the tub is hard, briefly heat it in the microwave to soften it before spooning.
All mass-produced palm sugar is mixed with some white sugar, even if the package says “pure” or “100%.” Products with less white sugar will be more expensive, as they have a richer flavor. If you can’t find palm sugar, light brown sugar is a decent substitute in most cases.
Thai people do not use dairy, so any creaminess comes from coconut milk. Do not buy “light” coconut milk; all the flavor of coconut milk is in the fat. When the fat is taken out, the flavor goes with it! You’re better off using less regular coconut milk and adding water or stock to lighten it.
Canned coconut milk is the most widely available form, but I recommend looking for coconut milk in a Tetra Pak carton, as it has a better flavor. The best coconut milk should have only two ingredients listed on the package: coconut and water. It should never say “coconut beverage.”
Using lime juice is one of the two ways we add tartness to Thai food. In salads, it’s the primary source of acid for the dressing, as we rarely use vinegar. We also add lime juice to many soups, such as the famous tom yum soup. Lime wedges are often served alongside dishes like pad thai or fried rice (like curried fried rice with pineapple) to add some brightness and freshness to the dish.
It’s best to avoid cooking fresh lime juice, as the flavor deteriorates with prolonged cooking. Instead, add lime juice to uncooked dishes or stir it in at the end of the cooking process. To pick a juicy lime, choose one with smooth, shiny skin that gives a little when squeezed.
Alongside lime, tamarind is the other ingredient in Thai cooking that provides acidity. We add tamarind to all types of dishes, including curries, soups, stir-fries and some salads. It has a richer flavor than lime juice, so it tends to be used in heavier dishes.
You can buy premade Thai tamarind paste (often labeled “tamarind concentrate” in English) or make the paste from tamarind pulp. Tamarind pulp is usually sold as a compacted block wrapped in plastic. The pulp needs to be soaked in water and then massaged until it’s fully mixed into the water. Finally, the paste is strained before use.
If buying premade tamarind paste, choose a product from Thailand or Vietnam. Avoid tamarind concentrate from India, which has a different flavor.
Though the name might suggest otherwise, lemongrass is not sour. It lends a wonderful citrusy aroma to many Thai dishes, like Thai shrimp soup. The long, hard stalk can be finely sliced and left in the dish. Or it can be cut into chunks, smashed until bruised and added whole. Once its flavor is infused into the dish, the lemongrass is discarded before serving.
The flavor of lemongrass is stronger in the bottom half of the stalk, so I generally only use that half for cooking. The top half has a weaker flavor and can be reserved for making stock or tea.
Don’t worry if you have to buy more lemongrass than you need for a single recipe. Lemongrass can be cut into chunks and frozen in a freezer-safe container. The chunks can be used directly from the freezer without thawing.
Galangal is a rhizome with a pine-like aroma unlike any other herb. It looks like ginger but has an entirely different flavor. It’s most commonly used in our curry paste, but sliced galangal is also infused into soups like tom kha gai or khao soi.
If you have extra fresh galangal, slice it into rounds and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer the slices to a freezer bag. You can use frozen galangal without thawing.
Makrut lime leaves (sometimes called kaffir lime leaves) are the intensely aromatic leaves of the makrut lime tree. I often describe their aroma as the grassier cousin of lime. The leaves are tough, so they must be very finely julienned to be palatable. More commonly, they’re roughly torn into chunks or simmered whole in soups. They can be removed before serving.
If fresh lime leaves are unavailable, look for frozen leaves, which are almost as flavorful as the fresh ones. Grated lime zest can be used as a substitute, but the flavors are not the same.
Thai chiles come in many varieties: large or small, red or green, mild or spicy, fresh or dried. We use them to add heat to food, but they also contribute a flavor that’s become part of the identity of many Thai dishes.
Larger chiles tend to be milder and are used to add color and flavor without overwhelming the dish with spiciness. Small chiles are added primarily for heat, and the amount used can be customized to your taste. Keep in mind that dried and fresh chiles have vastly different flavors, as do red and green.
If Thai chiles are not available, substitute another type of pepper with similar characteristics. For example, if spicy Thai chiles are called for, substitute another spicy pepper.
Thai basil has a beautiful, floral aroma that cannot be mistaken for any other type of basil. The stems are purple, and the plant often blooms with vibrant purple flowers. Thai basil is most commonly added to cooked dishes such as stir fries and curries.
Regular basil can be used as a substitute in most cases, even though it does not have the same flavor.
Rice is the foundation of most Thai meals. Unless we make a noodle-based dish like Thai drunken noodles, most of our dishes are eaten with rice, including soups and salads.
While there are many rice varieties in Thailand, jasmine rice is the most prized choice for its soft, fluffy texture. It also has a beautiful aroma, which you’ll smell as soon as you open the bag.
When buying Thai jasmine rice, look for one that says hom mali and has a round green and yellow logo on the bag; this is a government certification for genuine Thai hom mali rice.
For some meals, sticky rice is our carb of choice. It’s consumed all over the country, but more so in Northern and Northeastern Thailand. It’s always appropriate to serve sticky rice with dishes from these regions. The chewiness of sticky rice makes it the perfect pairing with barbecued meats or fried chicken, and it’s fantastic for creating desserts like mango sticky rice.
Thai sticky rice is a medium-grain rice with an opaque white color. It’s usually sold as “glutinous rice” or “sweet rice.” Be sure to look for a product from Thailand.
All Thai curries start out with a paste, or a mixture of herbs and spices that determines the curry’s identity. You can make your own curry paste, but it’s a time-consuming process. Most Thai families buy premade curry pastes for everyday cooking.
Think of curry pastes as flavor pastes. They can be added to stir-fries, dipping sauces like satay sauce or even meat mixtures such as sausages or fish cakes. There are many brands of curry paste on the market, so it might take a few tries to find a brand with a flavor and spice level you like. Look for one made in Thailand and avoid any with additives or seasonings beyond salt.
