When it comes to Thai and Akha cooking, there are many cooking ingredients that those from overseas may have never even heard of or seen in their lives.

For example, kaffir lime or makrut is one of the essential Thai and Akha ingredients. The green, bumpy-skinned fruit looks similar to a regular lime, and its leaf is used for Thai and Akha cooking.

People have often asked if they can’t get kaffir lime, can they use normal lime instead? The answer is NO. If you can’t get the kaffir lime then it is better to skip this ingredient rather than try to replace it with regular lime. However, if the recipe calls for the skin of the kaffir lime which comes from the bumpy kaffir lime fruit, and the fruit is not available, you can use the kaffir lime leaf instead. Due to many countries importing rules regarding fruit and vegetables, many countries can only stock the leaves instead of the fruit, as it is a prohibited product.

Here we feature the ingredients that are commonly used in Thai and Akha cuisine. The lists are in both Thai and English, with pronunciations in Thai, in case you are interested in learning some new Thai words and phrases.

If you are in Thailand and you are learning to speak Thai, try bringing the list to the shop and trying to ask for the ingredients in Thai! Your efforts are always appreciated, and you are guaranteed to receive a big, warm smile.

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