| Chinese White Cabbage (Bok Choy) |
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Napa Cabbage (Pak
Khad Kow) |
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Chinese White Cabbage also known as Chinese chard
and Chinese white cabbage, has fleshy white stems
and leaf ribs and green flat leaves. It has a
slightly mustardy taste. Separate the leaves, wash
well and drain. The white stems can be sliced thinly
and eaten raw. A smaller type is called baby bok
choy or Shanghai bok choy. |
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Napa Cabbage also known as celery cabbage and
Chinese cabbage, has a long shape and closely packed
broad, pale green leaves with wide white stems. It
has a delicate mustard-like flavor. This vegetable
always used in Thai stir-fried vegetable, and Kim
Chi. |
|
Chinese Flowering Cabbage (Pak Khwang Tung) |
|
Chinese Broccoli (Pak
Kha Nar) |
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Chinese flowering
cabbage is slimmer than bok choy and has a smooth
green leaves and pale green stems with clusters of
tiny yellow flowers on the tips of the inner shoots.
The leaves and flowers cook quickly and have light,
sweet mustard flower; the stems are crunchy and
juicy. |
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Chinese Broccoli has smooth round stems sprouting
large dark green leaves and small, white flowers.
The juicy stems trimmed of most of their leaves, is
the piece of plant which is most commonly eaten. GAI
LARN has the similar flavor to western broccoli, but
without the characteristic large flower heads. |
|
Bamboo Shoot (Nor Mai) |
|
Black Fungus (Hed Hoo
Noo) |
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Crunchy in texture and with a subtle, refreshing
taste, these are the edible young shoots of certain
type of bamboo. Fresh bamboo shoots are hard to get
and, if not already prepared, must be peeled then
parboiled to remove toxic hydrocyanic acid boil
whole or in chunks for 5 minutes or until they no
longer taste bitter, Canned and bottled are the one
most often used. |
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This tree fungus has a little flavor of its own, but
is valued for is crunchy texture. It is most
commonly available in its dried form, which looks
like wrinkled black paper. Before use, soak in warm
water for 15-30 minutes, until the fungus swells to
about five times its size. They should then be
rinsed several times to remove any sand. |
|
Beansprout ( Thua Ngok) |
|
Daikon (Hua Chai Tau) |
 |
The sprouts of the soya or mung bean are crunchy and
tender. They can be grown at home, they are easy to
find in most supermarket though. Beansprouts can be
replaced by other fresh vegetables, finely sliced,
if necessary. |
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Much used in Japanese and Chinese cooking. It has a
similar taste and texture to ordinary radish and is
grated and added to stewed dishes or mixed with
finely chopped chilies as a relish. |
|
Garlic (Kra Tiem) |
|
Water Chestnut (Haeo) |
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Garlic flavor is strongest when the cloves are
squeezed and their juice extracted, slightly less
strong when the cloves are grated or finely chopped,
even less strong when the clove are merely sliced,
and mildest when whole unbroken cloves are used. In
addition, the longer garlic is cooked, the milder it
becomes.
Garlic contains significant amount of vitamin C,
calcium and protein. It is also rich in potassium,
phosphorus, iron and zinc. |
|
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These white-fleshed
roots of a variety of water grass are prized for
their semi-sweet taste and crisp texture, which is
retained when cooked. They are used throughout China
and Southeast Asia in both savory and sweet dishes.
Available canned and sometimes fresh; cut off the
woody base, peel away papery skin, and cover in
water to stop discoloring. |
|
Cherry Eggplant (Ma Kheua Phuang) |
|
Yard-long Beans (Thua
Fuk Yao) |
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It grows in clusters and, when yet unripe, look like
large peas. |
|
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They have pod up to 60 cm long. These are eaten
both fresh and cooked and are at their best when
young and slender. Mostly used in Thai Papaya Salad
or Som Tum. |
|
Winged Bean (Thua Phu) |
|
Thai Eggplant (Ma
Kheua) |
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It bears a pod which in cross section looks like a
rectangle that has a fringe-like extension at each
corner, the "wings" of the bean. |
|
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Thai Eggplant is eaten with Nam Prik or Chili Paste.
There are a number of types ranging in size from
that of Ping-Pong ball down to that of a marble.There are yellow, white, purple, green, pea & long
eggplants. |
|
Chinese Dried Mushrooms (Hed Hom) |
|
Straw Mushrooms (Hed
Fang) |
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They are also called Chinese dried black mushrooms.
Their distinctive woody, smoky tastes are
intensified by the drying process and they are
rarely eaten fresh. |
|
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Straw Mushrooms are named for their growing
environment –straw- and are cultivated throughout
Asia. They have globe-shaped caps, are stemless and
have a musty flavor. They are available in cans but
need to be drained and rinse before use. |
|
Angle Loofah
(Bouabliam) |
|
Bitter Melon or
Cucumber (Mara Ki Nok) |
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Boil or stew the young fruit and eat
as a vegetable. |
|
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Cook |
|
Chive Flower (Dok Gui
Chai) |
|
Taro (Puerk) |
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Chive Flowers (Dok Gui
Chai) are the flowering tips of chives and are used
in stir-fries |
|
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This root grows
wild on the banks of streams in Thailand and is
particularly popular in the north of the country.
The swollen tuber is full of starch and is
eaten in the same manner as potatoes. The
young leaves can also be eaten. "Wear
gloves when peeling taros". |
|
Chinese Bitter Melon
(Ma Ra Jean) |
|
Wax Gourd (Fak Keaw) |
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This tropical, annual vine has bitter
taste and is used in, Soup, curry, and salad. (If
you don't like the bitter taste, parboil with salt
and rinse 2-3 times before cooking.) The Thais
believe that it is very good for the kidneys and
blood. Look for small, firm specimens that are still
green when buying. |
|
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Wax gourd, Fak Keaw, also called
white gourd or Chinese preserving melon, is oblong
and light green to white. The ends are rounded and
the flesh is solid and white. |
|
Betel (Bai Cha Ploo) |
|
Banana Flower (Hua
Plee) |
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Bitter Leaf is eaten raw or used in
soup or salads. The leaves used to make miang kham,
a delicious Thai recipe. Somewhat bitter, the taste
is perfectly suited for miang kham. Or you can wrap
just about any Thai food in the leaves, such as
fried rice with a peanut or two, and pop them into
your mouth. The leaves are sold in bunches. Leaves
are 3-4" wide. These leaves are commonly used in
Thailand as a stimulant, if mixed together with lime
paste |
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These are in fact the tender hearts
of unopened banana flowers, which have been stripped
of their purple petals. They are available fresh in
some Asian markets and also canned or dried. Fresh
banana buds discolour rapidly once they are sliced
or shredded, so should be brushed with lemon juice
to prevent this. Banana buds are used in northern
Thailand to make a tasty, squash soup. They are also
a popular salad ingredient, tasting rather like
artichokes. |
|
Thai Sugar Pea (Tua
Landaow) |
|
Water Spinach (Pak
Boong Thai) |
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You eat these whole, pod and all.
They're often stir-fried very briefly (no more than
a minute), but they're also good raw.
They're easy to prepare, just wash and trim the
ends.
Some people string them as well, but that's not
necessary.
Select crisp, flat sugar peas that snap when you
break them. |
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This popular leafy plant is actually
a herb. It grows in marshy areas, near rivers and
canals, and is related to the morning glory that
riots over walls and fences in many European
gardens. It has slender, hollow green stems and thin
ovate green leaves which are pointed at the ends. In
some parts of Asia, the stems are pickled, but in
Thailand, only the leaves and tender shoots are
eaten. The flavour is similar to that of spinach. In
Thailand, the tender tips are often eaten raw, on
their own or with other raw vegetables, and served
with a selection of hot sauces. When cooked, the
stem tips stay firm, but the leaves rapidly become
limp. Swamp Cabbage is highly perishable and must be
used promptly. |
|
Praew Leaf (Pak Peow) |
|
Water Mimosa (Pak Kra
Ched) |
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Pak Peow (Bai Prik Ma) is eaten raw
with salads or noodles. Pak Peow can be found in
many Southeast Asian markets |
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