Thai Herbs & Spices Guide — Rice Market Washington DC

Herbs and spices are essential parts of Thai cuisine. Used in combination, they achieve the balance of the four essential Thai tastes: salty, sour, spicy, and sweet. Nearly every Thai recipe begins with a paste — and a paste made from fresh whole herbs delivers a depth of flavor and aroma that ready-made versions cannot approach.

Most Thai pastes begin with shallots, garlic, and chillies. Added to this may be dried or fresh coriander, galangal, green peppercorns, lemongrass, and turmeric. Kaffir lime leaves lend a uniquely Thai flavor to pastes and simmering dishes. And no Thai kitchen would be complete without a generous supply of fresh basil — Thais use several varieties, including sweet basil and the more pungent holy basil.

12 Essential Herbs & Spices

Shallots

หอมแดง · Hom Daeng

Milder and sweeter than onion, shallots form the aromatic base of almost every Thai curry paste and sauce.

Used in: curry pastes, stir-fries, salad dressings

Garlic

กระเทียม · Kra Tiam

Thai garlic is smaller and more pungent than Western varieties. Used raw in pastes or fried as a crispy garnish.

Used in: pastes, stir-fries, soups, garnish

Chilies

พริก · Prik

The heat engine of Thai cooking. Bird's eye chillies deliver intense heat; longer varieties are milder. Both fresh and dried are used.

Used in: pastes, sauces, raw in salads

Dried Chilies

พริกแห้ง · Prik Haeng

Soaked and pounded into pastes, dried chillies add a deeper, smokier heat than fresh. Essential to red curry paste.

Used in: red curry paste, chilli oil, marinades

Lemongrass

ตะไคร้ · Ta Krai

Used chopped and pounded in pastes, or bruised and simmered whole in soups. Gives a bright citrus-herbal note that defines many Thai dishes.

Used in: Tom Yum, curries, pastes, marinades

Galangal

ข่า · Kha

A relative of ginger with a sharper, more piney flavor. Cannot be substituted with ginger — the two are used differently and taste quite distinct.

Used in: Tom Kha, curry pastes, soups

Kaffir Lime

ใบมะกรูด · Bai Makrut

The leaves are the prized part — their aromatic oil delivers a floral, citrusy note found in no other ingredient. The zest and juice are also used.

Used in: curry pastes, soups, stir-fries

Thai Basil

โหระพา · Ho Ra Pha

Sweeter and more anise-like than Italian basil, with purple stems. Wilted quickly into hot dishes. Holy basil (krapow) is spicier and used differently.

Used in: stir-fries, curries, soups

Turmeric

ขมิ้น · Kha Min

Fresh turmeric delivers color and an earthy, slightly bitter warmth. The signature spice of Southern Thai cuisine; also valued for its health properties.

Used in: southern curries, pastes, marinades

Coriander

ผักชี · Phak Chi

All parts are used — roots are pounded into pastes for depth, stems added during cooking, leaves scattered fresh as a garnish.

Used in: pastes (roots), soups, garnish (leaves)

Fresh Peppercorns

พริกไทยอ่อน · Prik Thai On

Used on the vine, with a bright green heat quite different from dried pepper. Found in stir-fries and as a garnish in central Thai cooking.

Used in: stir-fries, red curry, garnish

Mint

สะระแหน่ · Sa Ra Nae

Used fresh as a cooling counterpoint to heat, especially in Isaan salads like Larb and Nam Tok where its brightness cuts through the spice.

Used in: Larb, Nam Tok, fresh salads

Start with a paste

In the Thai kitchen, pastes were traditionally made by pounding whole spices and herbs with a pestle and mortar — a method that releases oils and integrates flavors in a way a blender cannot quite replicate. Most begin with shallots, garlic, and chillies as the base, then build with galangal, lemongrass, coriander root, kaffir lime zest, and whichever spices define the regional style.

Rice Market stocks fresh Thai herbs — many of which are harder to find elsewhere in DC — as well as quality pre-made pastes for when you need them. We recommend trying fresh at least once to understand what you're building toward.

Shop fresh herbs at the market →

Start with a paste

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