Thai Rice Varieties

Rice is an ingredient that can be found on every menu within Thailand. However, what many do not realize is there are different varieties that are cooked in different ways.

One of the most popular types of rice throughout the country is fragrant jasmine rice. The grains are white in colour and long in shape. Another popular rice that is readily available is sticky rice, which is also named glutinous rice as it is gluten free. This rice is white in colour also and the grains are short in length. The rice has a sweeter taste and is often used in desserts such as mango sticky rice as well as in savoury dishes.

Throughout Thailand, rice is accompanied with most dishes and is also eaten in several different ways.

For instance, with a curry dish, steamed jasmine rice is typically served. However, with dishes such as fried chicken or pork, sticky rice is preferred.

Here is a quick guide to the different ways that rice is cooked:

1. Fried Rice - this is typically made with white rice, it is cooked in a rice cooker, similar to a pressure cooker, then placed in a frying pan where eggs, vegetables such as spring onion, meat or fish are added. It is then served with a slice of lime and a dash of light soy sauce. The dish is usually eaten as a main course.
2. Steamed Rice - this is simple, tasty and the healthiest option. The rice, whether it is brown, jasmine or plain white, is simply cooked in a rice cooker and used to accompany dishes.
3. Sticky Rice - can be found in supermarkets pre-cooked and on street stalls already cooked and wrapped in green pandan leaves. The rice is also used to cook sweet dishes such as mango sticky rice, where coconut milk, sweet fresh mango and granulated or palm sugar are added. This is a popular desert amongst Thais.

The Essential Flavours of Thai Cuisine

The essential ingredients which set Thai cuisine apart from the rest of the world are the five flavours blended together in each meal. All Thai dishes follow similar rules of having hot (spicy), sweet, sour, salty and bitter flavours. Walk past stalls or markets with curries being made and you smell the distinct ingredients. The aromatic, chilli and rich smells are all blended together to make Thai food incredibly more-ish.

In addition to these flavours, Thais have a range of condiments to accompany the already quite spicy dishes. Nam chim or a selection of sauces are served in small containers, which have dried chilli flakes, sweet chilli sauce, nam pla phrik (fish sauce, chopped chilli, lime juice and garlic), sliced chilli in rice vinegar and sugar. Cucumber is found on the sides of a dish, to cool and cleanse the mouth, after eating fairly vicious sounding ingredients.

Anyone who has travelled to Thailand or eaten Thai food will understand the flavours being immense. The spiciness is almost unbearable but after having time to cool down, the addictive nature of chillies makes you want it all over again.

It is not only rice and curry dishes which are sold in Thailand. Noodles, many different type of fish dishes, spicy salads (papaya salad), sticky rice and fried chicken or fish balls are available. Having the right blend of ingredients is highly important and one which the budding DIY chef may get wrong. Replicating a Thai dish is an art and it’s usually easier and cheaper to go and buy it.

To find the correct blend of Thai ingredients, all of which encompass the five flavours, is difficult. Tourists who have been to Thailand will never experience the right taste again, unless they go back there for the addictive nature of the cuisine.

Using Garlic the Thai Way

Garlic is used as a cooking ingredient all over the world. However, in the Western World we tend to use garlic sparingly, and when we do use it we tend to prepare it quite differently than Thai people do in Thailand.

In the west we tend to peel the outer skin from the cloves of garlic, we also chop it finely or squeeze it through a garlic press. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this way of preparing garlic, it must be said that this destroys the flavour somewhat. Thai people would never consider treating their garlic so badly!

Smash it Whole:
The primary way in which garlic is used in Thai recipes, is as part of the base paste used to flavour the food. The garlic, along with other herbs and spices such as chillies, onion and black pepper will be thrown into a mortar and then ground down to a paste using a pestle. Note, the garlic is thrown in whole, including the skin, with no other preparation.

Skin it and Eat it Whole:
Another way in which garlic is used in Thai recipes, especially spicy salads (Yam), is to simply peel the cloves and add them to the dish whole. Thai people have no problems with eating whole cloves of garlic in one mouthful, even when it is raw.

As a Covering:
Several Thai dishes, such as Plachon Loue Sawai (a type of deep fried fish with a spicy, sour covering) uses chucks of garlic as part of the coating over the food. Usually it will be coarsely chopped (including the skin) and mixed with chopped onion, chopped chillies, and finely chopped lemongrass. This creates a spicy yet sour mixture, which is sprinkled over the dish before cooking.

As we can see, Thai cooking uses garlic in more innovative ways than we use it in the west, where we simply add a small quantity of chopped garlic to a dish to give it a little flavour. In Thailand, many dishes feature the full flavour of the garlic, which seems to offset the spicy taste of chillies perfectly.

Popular Thai Herbs

The overall character of Thai food, just the same as any regional food, is governed by the most common herbs and spices used in its preparation. What makes Thai food so tasty is the fact the there are such a wide range of inexpensive, and easily obtained herbs and spices to be found in Thailand. Below we will take a look at the three most commonly used of them, which definitely help to form that great Thai taste.

Lemongrass – A very hard grass stalk, with a strong taste of lemon. Thai people add Lemongrass to a dish either smashed down to a paste form in a mortar and pestle, finely chopped, or on 3-6 centimeter lengths. Note that the third form is not eaten, it is simply there to add flavor, leave it in the dish when eating.

Basil – An immensely popular herb across the whole of Thailand. Thai basil is a little different than the basil we find in the western world. The leaves are much larger, and the plants are busier. Also, the taste is not quite so strong. Thai folks will use handfuls of basil when cooking, whereas we would only use a few leaves in the West.

Kaffir Lime Leaves – A whole range of soups, curries, friend dishes and sauces, all feature Kaffir Lime Leaves. Leaves are tossed into the dish, and are used to add flavor. The leaves are never eaten, and are simply left in the serving dish.

So there we have it, 3 of Thailand’s most popular herbs, every chef keen to try their hand at Thai food will need to keep these stocked.

Coping with Chillies

Let’s face it, in the Western World, our idea of spicy is a pizza with a few jalapenos on top. Many people visiting Thailand, or trying authentic Thai food for the first time, often encounter the burning mouth, running nose and numb lips, that only a really spicy dish can cause. So how do we go about enjoying Thai food without this risk?

The simplest way, yet not the best way, is simply to ask for dishes to be prepared without too much chilli. Asking for a dish to be made “Mai Phet” or not hot, is the way to achieve this. However, if you do this, you are missing the true Thai taste, and eating a dish which is a shadow of its proper flavour.

Now I will teach you a little secret I have discovered over the past 5 years living in Thailand. The Thai people cheat when it comes to spicy food. They know for a fact that certain things like sugar will kill the burning chilli sensation dead, whilst leaving the taste intact. Watch a Thai person putting condiments into noodle soup, in goes a spoonful of sugar for every spoonful of dried chilli. In a similar fashion, several types of vegetable leaves can have the same effect such as peppermint.

Hands down the best way to cope with spicy food is to get used to it. I still remember how it used to feel when I could not eat the dishes I ordered. Fortunately a tolerance for chilli is very quick to build up. Persevere, eat food as spicy as you can handle, and then increase the heat over a period of time. Trust me on this, I now eat food spicier than most Thai people can handle, and have been for quite some time.

The Secret of that Thai Taste

Most people who have been to Thailand will agree that once you have tasted locally prepared food, then Thai restaurants in the rest of the world pale into insignificance, as the true taste is seldom recreated outside Thailand, but why is this?

The reason is glaringly simple if you watch Thai food being prepared anywhere in the country, from a simple street stall to an up market restaurant – fresh ingredients and good preparation.

Typically, a person preparing a Thai dish will not use any form of pre-prepared seasoning. Instead they will use a mortar and pestle to grind herbs and spices together, to create the flavouring for the dish. The exception to this is curry paste, which will usually be purchased from a local market, although this has previously been prepared in the same way.

In the same way that Thai people pay great attention to the actual preparation of the raw ingredients, they also demand that all food cooked be fresh. Thai people do not stock their fridges, they do not fill up their freezers, instead they work on a buy today eat today basis. Each day, fresh food will be purchased for consumption for that day alone.

So here are the two real tricks to achieving that great Thai taste when cooking at home. Firstly, always use entirely fresh produce whenever you can. Secondly, avoid pre-made or off the shelf seasonings, instead prepare them yourself using the raw ingredients.

Another Rick Stein Recipe Added

Rick Stein's Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe

In Rick's own words: "This chicken rice, like babi guling, the slow-roasted pig from Bali, is a dish I would cross continents for. It appears in various forms all over the Far East, especially Malaysia and Singapore. There are people who wouldn’t let a day go by without a plate of chicken rice, and I can perfectly understand why. It’s the moistness of the chicken that gets to you; that and the texture of the rice, made silky by first being fried in some of the chicken fat from the cavity of the bird."

View this delicious recipe...

New Rick Stein Thai Recipe Added

Rick Stein's Beef Massaman Curry

In Rick's own words: "I found this curry at the hotel I was staying at during filming, the Royal Orchid Sheraton on the Chao Phraya river in the centre of Bangkok. The Thai restaurant there, called Thara Thong, was unexpectedly good, and I say this because you don’t usually expect to find a really good restaurant in a giant hotel catering for international conferences. The chef was very much a home-style cook specializing in royal Thai cuisine, albeit with a no-nonsense head-chef demeanour about her. The mussaman curry is the Thai version of the Muslim curries of northern India, made really special by the use of fish sauce, shrimp paste, lemongrass and palm sugar, but the element I find beguiling is the black cardamom, which gives the curry a delightfully smoky flavour."

View this delicious recipe ...

Rick Stein lists Thai Food Online as the place to get your Thai ingredients

Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey is an epic culinary journey along rivers, through jungles and around coastlines, avoiding the beaten track and tourist hot-spots, in search of the authentic food of Southeast Asia. Along the way, Rick visits traditional family-run restaurants, street vendors, floating markets, night markets, fishing villages, and the local cinnamon and rice farmers to learn about the authentic food of the Far East, and to sample the delicious spectrum of exotic flavours.

Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey
In this accompanying book to the major BBC series, Rick shares his favourite recipes and some well-known classic dishes inspired by the fragrant ingredients and recipes he sampled along his way.

What’s more, thai-food-online.co.uk has been listed as the recommended suppliers to get authentic and fresh Thai ingredients in the UK. We will soon be adding some of his authentic and delicious recipes to our website, so keep an eye out for them.
In essence this is a great companion to the BBC2 television series, and with 150 beautifully presented recipes the book promises to be one of Rick Stein's best to date. This book is a must for lovers of Thai and Asian food who enjoy the smells of kaffir lime and lemongrass wafting through their homes.

Thai Sausage Recipe

Perfect for barbeques, these Thai sausages originally from the north-eastern area of Issan bring a unique, fragrant taste.

It can be a meal in itself as the combination of pork and sticky rice is quite rich, and delicious!

If you don’t fancy making a traditional Thai sausages as piping the sausage into it’s casing can be quite a tricky (and messy!) job, you can also make meat patties or small burgers with this recipe.

Thai Sausages (Sai Grog)
Ingredients for Thai sausages (for four people):
Minced Pork (150g)
Sticky Rice (½ Cup)
Galangal (50gms)
Lemongrass (50gms)
Thai Garlic (5 cloves)
Thai Coriander Roots (3)
Thai Green Chillies (5)
Kaffir Lime Leaves (4)
Thai White Pepper (½ tablespoon)
Fish Sauce (2 tablespoons)
MSG (1 teaspoon - optional)
Salt (1 teaspoon)

Cooking Time: About 2 hours.
Method:Cook the sticky rice by soaking it in hot water for about an hour, and then steaming it in a Thai rice steamer for 10-15 minutes. Then let it cool down.Pulverise the garlic using a pestle and mortar.Mix all the ingredients including the minced pork thoroughly. Use a food processer if required. Leave the mixture at room temperature overnight.If you are making traditional sausages, pipe it into the sausage skin. You can also make small meat patties/hamburgers with the mixture, if you don’t want to bother with making sausages.Can be either cooked in the oven or barbequed for about 20-25 minutes

Thai Cooking Tips

Banana Leaves Enhance Fish Dishes


Summer means serious grilling for many of us. Stores are filled with all sorts of barbecue gizmos and gadgets, but I think simple is better -- so how about an easy cookout this Sunday? You still need to man the grill, but you won't be stuck there all day.

Grilling fish in banana leaves has been around for centuries. The leaves not only look beautiful, but lend a subtle aroma and a taste of tea and anise that complement fish. The leaf protects the fish as it grills and keeps it moist.

If your fish is fresh and/or very delicate, either use an oiled fish cage or place a piece of banana leaf over your grill. Cook the fish right on the leaf (instead of tin foil). The leaf will turn fragrant and will brown as you cook.

You can go minimal and season the fish with salt, pepper and a dash of olive oil, or coat it with an exotic spice paste. Then just wrap the leaf around it. Wrap the packet in aluminum foil to keep the outer leaves from burning.

Banana leaves also make a beautiful background on which to serve various tropical dishes -- excellent for party platters or finger foods. To keep leftover leaves for later use, simply enclose in an extra-large, self-sealing plastic bag and refreeze. If you can't find them, aluminum foil may be substituted in today's recipe.

Do You Dream Of Running Your Own Restaurant?

Raymond Blanc is back and in this time of recession and gloom has an exciting opportunity for all aspiring restaurateurs! The series had huge success last year on BBC TWO. Featuring Raymond Blanc and nine couples who battled it out over eight weeks, the show is coming back for a third series.
Raymond Blanc will once again be giving couples the opportunity to try their luck as restaurateurs and seeing if they can rise to the challenges he throws at them. We are particularly looking to feature a Thai or Anglo-Thai couple living in the UK who are passionate about cooking Thai food and are seeking to promote their country's cuisine within the UK.
BBC 2 want to hear from any couples who think they too could run a restaurant. Married, friends, siblings, relatives, partners, colleagues – anyone over the age of 18 can apply. Experience of a restaurant or catering environment isn't necessary but whether you're a chef or a cleaner, a waiter or writer, Raymond wants to hear from people who are passionate about food and the dining experience.
People can apply via www.bbc.co.uk/restaurant or by emailing therestaurant@bbc.co.uk or calling 03700 104 515.

Health Benefits of Thai Food

Dining in the UK is, like so many aspects of modern life, sometimes a compromise. In days gone by, when gender roles conformed to long-established stereotypes, a housewife would prepare a full, cooked meal for the family to share in the evening. These days, when it is more likely that both partners in a relationship will have careers, time is at a premium and many begrudge time spent cooking after a busy day at work. Consequently, takeaway food and restaurant meals account for a larger part of our diet then ever before.

While many of us avoid the kind of fast food that we consider to be junky American imports, such as burgers and greasy fried chicken, we do not seem to be so aware of the health aspects of other cuisines which, although established, are also relative newcomers to our shores.

Health in diet and lifestyle is a modern obsession. We shy away from overdoing the very obvious unhealthy foods. We limit our intake of cakes, sweets, chips, but we are less wary of eating Indian and Chinese restaurant meals or takeaways – perhaps several times a week – even though, at the back of our minds, we know that these are often as full of fat, sugar and salt as the more obvious junk foods.

» read on

A Guide for the Gastronomically Timid British Newbie

A surprising number of us Brits are still very wary of "foreign food". Despite claims that curry is now as much an English national dish as roast beef or fish and chips, there are still many people who are missing out on flavours they never dreamed existed. Whether we like it or not, the British palate is not renowned for its sense of adventure. Our indigenous cuisine is universally regarded as bland and, apart from the odd dash of mustard or horseradish sauce, hot and spicy are not qualities easily found in a traditional British meal.

Still a relatively novel cuisine to many British diners, Thai food offers a visually appealing alternative to the more familiar Indian and Chinese foods. With its wide range of flavours, Thai cuisine can cater to both the conservative and the adventurous palate. This article describes some of the flavours, and some of the heath and social benefits of Thai dining.

read on ...

Thai Food Online Facebook Group

Love it, or hate it, Facebook is here to stay. So we have now created our own Facebook group, where both customers and people who have an interest in Thai food can exchange ideas and recipes. You can also participate in discussions about Thai food and Thai recipes.

So this would be a great way for you to meet similar people like yourself who share a passion for Thai food!

» View the Thai Food Online Facebook group

New recipe added to our website:
Chicken And Cashew Nut (Gai Pad Med Mamuang Himaphan)

Thai Chicken and Cashew Nuts is one of many stir fry dishes that came to Thailand via the Chinese. Cashew chicken is a simple stir fry recipe that is easy to make, plus healthy and delicious.

The finest cashews in the world are grown in Thailand, mainly on the island of Phuket. Mamuang himaphan means cashew nut but there is an interesting translation. Himaphan's original meaning refers to the Garden of Eden, and the cashew nut looks like a small mango.

» view recipe …

Thai Food Online is better than your local supermarket!

It’s Official – We stock better Thai food products than Tesco, Marks & Spencers, Asda and Waitrose.

In a test carried out by David Thompson, executive head chef at Nahm (in central London) for the Observer Food Monthly, he rated the products stocked by us here at Thai Food Online to be superior to the ones available at most supermarkets. Click here to view the article (1.4 mb) …

This comes as no surprise as our products are all genuine high quality authentic Thai products, whereas the Thai brands made in the UK and the big supermarket chains tend to be a bit “bland” and not so flavoursome.

For the “real Thai taste”, always remember to use authentic Thai products and fresh ingredients. This will ensure delicious meals every time!

Smiling Fish Brand Added

We have now added the popular 'Smiling Fish' Thai brand of canned seafood products. These can either be eaten as a snack on their own, with rice or with a tasty Thai soup.




The varieties we have in stock are:

• Fried clams with chilli


• Mackerel with salted beans


• Mackerel with chilli in tomato sauce


• Mackerels in chilli sauce