
Fresh vegetables we use in our recipes:
The best part of Thai and Akha food is using all fresh ingredients. There are various types of fresh vegetables used in Thai and Akha cooking. Some of them you may know already, and some of them you have never heard of before. Some may be available in dried or powder form.
For example turmeric, most people know turmeric powder and had used it before. For Thai and Akha cooking, they used fresh turmeric root then the turmeric powder. You may see these ingredients in Tom Yum Soup, they look like sliced baby carrots.
Regarding fresh ingredients, if you can’t get the particular ingredients. Don’t worry! In our recipes already mentioned the substitution for it. Like Thai eggplant to make Green Curry or Red Curry, if Thai eggplant is unavailable, you can use your regular purple eggplants or add broccoli or cauliflower to the curries.
List of Fresh Vegetables – ผักสด – Pak Sod
Baby Corn – ข้าวโพดอ่อน – Baby Corn
Baby corn is immature ears from regular-sized plants. It’s a few inches long, picked before its prime. It’s mildly sweet and has a satisfying snap to it. It’s commonly used in Asian cuisine. Thailand is the main producer of stir-fry Baby corn.
Banana Blossom – หัวปลี – Hua Pree
Banana blossom or banana heart is a purple tear-shaped flower that grows at the end of a banana fruit cluster. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Akha people cook banana blossom especially for a pregnant woman (before and after giving birth, the banana blossom is one of her main diet food).