Don't know your tom kha ka from your tom yam kung? Have no fear. Whether you're dining at a five-star hotel restaurant or an authentic eatery, our guide to Thai food terms will arm you with the necessary culinary lingo to negotiate any menu.
Kaeng (or Gaeng): large and diverse category
of dishes; loosely translates as "curry"
Kaeng massaman: a variety of coconut-milk curry
Kaeng phed: a red, coconut-cream curry
Kaeng som: a hot-sour curry
Kapi: fermented shrimp paste; vital ingredient
in nam phrik, or dishes flavored with hot chili sauce
Kai (or Gai): chicken
Khai: egg
Khao: rice
Khao suai: white rice
Khao phad: fried rice
King: ginger
Kung: prawns
Lab (or Larb): dish of minced meat with chilies
and lime juice
Mu: pork
Nam: sauce
Nam pla: fish sauce
Nam phrik: a hot chili sauce
Nuea: beef
Ped: duck
Phad: fried
Phad king: fried with ginger
Phad phed: fried hot and spicy
Phad Thai: pan-fried rice noodles with chicken,
shrimp, eggs, peanuts and bean sprouts
Phrik: chili pepper
Pla: fish
Sriracha: spicy chili condiment named after the city of Si Racha where it was first produced
Tom: boiled; often refers to soup
Tom kha kai: chicken coconut-cream soup flavored
with lemongrass and chilies
Tom yam kung: hot-sour shrimp soup flavored with
lemongrass, lime and chilies
Yam: flavored primarily with lime juice and chilies,
resulting in a hot-sour taste; usually 'salads' but
can also be noodle dishes or soup
Yam pla: raw fish spiked with lime juice, chili,
lemongrass, mint and fish sauce
|
