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fruit & veg HUA HIN
Thailand is a fruit and vegetable heaven and almost all varieties can be found in Hua Hin at any of the local markets.
Some may not grow around here, but they are transported daily, when in season.
The sheer number of them is staggering, as you will find out as you wander around Hua Hin. Stalls, some static and others mobile, spring up everywhere, so you'll never be short of ideas for new eating experiences.
Thailand is becoming more adept at producing some western fruits and vegetables - apples and strawberries, or potatoes and carrots, for instance - and whilst they are good, they still don't quite have the flavour that they do in the west.
However, local produce is exceptional and you should experiment with as many different types as you can. As a note, Hua Hin and surrounding areas are particularly well-known for producing the best pineapples in Thailand. You havn't lived until you've tried one!
We have attempted to list all the main fruits and vegetables you'll find in Hua Hin, but don't view the following as being totally comprehensive. There will always be something new to tempt you.
Fruits
Bananas (gluay ¡ÅéÇÂ) - there are some twenty varieties grown all over Thailand. The younger, sweeter ones are eaten raw, whilst others are dried in the sun for a snack. Available year-round.
Cantaloupe (cantoloupe) - similar to a melon, they are not quite as sweet as their western counterparts and available year-round.
Coconut (maprao ÁоÃéÒÇ) - if mature they are used to make coconut cream and when young for coconut juice. Year-round.
Custard Apple (noi naa ¹éÍÂ˹èÒ) - off-season from March-May, this pale green-skinned fruit is sweet with many seeds.
Dragon Fruit (gaew mungon á¡éÇÁѧ¡Ã) - this pink-skinned, white-fleshed fruit was originally found exclusively in Vietnam, but now is widely grown all over Thailand. Year-round.
Durian (turian ·ØàÃÕ¹) - this fruit is an aquired taste and the smell may initially put you off, but persevere. It is highly regarded as a delicacy throughout SE Asia and available throughout the year.
Guava (farang ½ÃÑè§) - a very popular snack quite often eaten with sugar, salt and chilli powder. Year-round.
Jackfruit (khanun ¢¹Ø¹) - similar in shape to a large melon, it has a grey skin with large kernels that can be roasted like chestnuts. The flesh has a strong smell, but it is sweet and succulent. Season, March-August.
Lychee (lin chi ÅÔ鹨Õè) - when peeled, this fruit has a delicious, sweet taste. The skin varies in colour from pink to dark red. Season, May and June.
Longan (lam yai ÅÓäÂ) - generally from the north of Thailand, this small, brown fruit has white flesh, tasting similar to a lychee. Season, variable, but best between July-October.
Mango (ma muang ÁÐÁèǧ) - there are some 12 varieties of mango grown in Thailand. The sweet, light yellow ones are normally eaten at their ripest and sweetest, whilst the green ones are more bitter and normally included in salads. The best time of year is from March-June.
Mangosteen (mangkhut Áѧ¤Ø´) - predominantly from southern Thailand, this wonderful fruit has a thick dark-red skin with white flesh in segments below. Available year-round.
Papaya (ma la gor ÁÐÅСÍ) - normally eaten in salads (somtam) when the fruit is unripe, it can also be consumed when fully ripe and sweet with some lime juice. Year-round.
Pineapple (sapparot ÊѺ»Ðô) - particularly good from the Hua Hin area, Thailand is now one of the leading exporters of canned pinapple in the world. Year-round.
Pomelo (som o ÊéÁâÍ) - very similar to a grapefruit, but sweeter. They can vary in colour from yellow to orange to red. Year-round.
Pomegranate (tubtim ·Ñº·ÔÁ) - the edible portion of the fruit is the juicy red flesh and there are many seeds inside, it has a sour taste.
Rambutan (ngor à§ÒÐ) - this sweet fruit has a bright red skin that is covered in green hairs. The flesh is white and contains a stone. Off-season, February-April.
Rose Apple (chomphu ªÁ¾Ù) - has a green or pink edible skin. It is crunchy and slightly acidic in taste. Year-round.
Sapodilla (la mut ÅÐÁØ´) - eaten when ripe, it is similar in shape to a mango with reddish-brown flesh. Season, May-June.
Sugar Apple (noi na ¹éÍÂ˹èÒ) - also known as a custard apple, it has a green skin with scented white flesh. Best eaten with a spoon. Season, June-February.
Star Fruit (ma-phuang ÁÐà¿×ͧ), also called carambola, is a star-shaped fruit that has a subtle, citrusy flavor.
Watermelon (daeng mo ᵧâÁ) - grown all over Thailand, this sweet fruit is particularly refreshing and is often made into fruit juice. Year-round.
As previously mentioned, the above is not an exhaustive list, but it does include the main tropical fruits you can buy in Hua Hin. Eat and enjoy.
Vegetables
There are over 200 different types of vegetables grown in Thailand and most will be present in Hua Hin's numerous markets. As a result, we are not trying to present an exhaustive guide to them, but rather highlight the main types you will come across with their Thai names.
Aubergines/Eggplants - there are numerous varieties grown here, the most usual being of the "apple" variety (makheua brot ÁÐà¢×Í). Normally pale green in colour they are eaten raw with chilli or cooked in curries.
Green onion (hom sot keaw) - generally used in salads and fried noodles (pad thai).
Spring Onion (dok don hom) - the leaves and bulbs of these immature onions are used in soups and stir-fries.
Onions (hua hom ËÑÇËÍÁ) - not as popular as shallots, they are nevertheless used in cooking, especially after being crisp-fried.
Green Mango (ma muang dib) - although technically a fruit, we've included this here as it's often eaten raw with chilli or made into a salad.
Bitter Melon (mara jean/mara ki nok) - again, strictly a fruit, these are added to soups, curries and salads. As the name suggests, they are very bitter.
Wax Gourd (fak kaew) - this white to green oblong gourd is mainly used in soups.
Yard Long Beans (tua fuk yao) - these long, green, stringless beans are normally cut into short lenghts and added to stir-fries, curries and soups.
Broccoli (poccoli) - this memeber of the cabbage family is green to purple-green and the florets are normally used in cooking.
Morning Glory (pak boong jin ¼Ñ¡ºØé§) - this herb (if it's to be described correctly) normally grows near water and both the leaves and shoots are eaten.
Cauliflower (dok kha lam) - this member of the cabbage family can be eaten whole, although the florets are the most tender part.
Chinese Chives/Chive flowers (kui chai/dok kui chai) - not disimilar to spring onions, these herbs nevertheless have a distinctive taste, being more peppery and chewy.
Winged Beans (tua phlu) - a pod-like vegetable that is cooked whole.
Chinese Cabbage (pak kaet khao) - used in stir-fries, salads and soups, this crispy vegetable has a mild, sweet flavour.
Sugar peas (tua lan tao) - these are eaten whole, as with mange tout, and only need a minimum amount of cooking. They're also very good raw.
Chinese Mustard Green (pak kwang tung jeen) - this flowering cabbage is pale green with clusters of small yellow flowers. It has a slight mustard flavour, cooks quickly and is normally used in soup and noodle dishes.
Bamboo Shoots (nor mai thai) - these are crisp mild-flavoured shoots of the bamboo plant. Used extensively in Thai cooking.
Pumpkin (fak thong) - these large squashes have a sweet flesh and are normally used for desserts and savoury dishes.
Straw Mushrooms (hed fang) - these and other types of mushrooms are widely available and used in Thai cooking.
Asparagus (nor mai farang) - prized for their delicate flavour, these vegetables are commonly used in Thai cooking.
Water Chestnuts (haew áËéÇ) - used in both sweet and savoury dishes, these crunchy roots of water grass are known for their semi-sweet taste.
Okra (gra jiab ¡ÃÐà¨Õêº) - generally deep-fried as an ingredient of sour curries or with nam prik dishes.
Sweetcorn (kao phod khao/kao phod wan) - increasinly being grown in Thailand, it can be eaten either before it's ripe, or afterwards when sweet.
Plum Tomatoes (ma kheua tet ÁÐà¢×Íà·È) - there are three varieties used in Thai cooking. The smaller ones have a slightly bitter taste and are generally included in northern dishes. Large tomatoes are used in hot and sour soups (tom yams) whilst the cherry tomatoes are reasonably sweet and find their way into salads, curries and soups.
Angle Loofah (buap liam) - this squash is also known as Chinese okra and is similar in taste to a cucumber. It is used stir-fries and soups.
Bean Sprouts (tua ngok) - widely used in stir-fry dishes or eaten raw with noodles.
Chinese Radish (hua chai tao) - this parsnip-looking vegetable is often fully cooked in curries and has a sweet taste.
Vegetable Soya Bean (tua rea ¶ÑèÇàËÅ×ͧ) - quite often steamed for a few minutes in boiling water, these make a delicious snack or can be used in stir-fries.
A full list of fruit and vegetables can be found here:
http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/bin/thai.cgi
herbs & spices HUA HIN
Below is a glossary of herbs and spices used in Thai cooking. The list can be endless and whilst this page is not designed to be 100% comprehensive, it will hopefully list all the major ingredients.
Some are used sparingly, whilst others are used with gusto. The main thing when experimenting for yourself is to make the dish to suit your palate. The first time you try something, it may be too hot, too salty or too sweet for you. Just make a note to cut down on certain ingredients the next time.
All the herbs and spices can be readily found in Hua Hin markets. Probably the easiest to shop at in terms of its location and the range of produce available, is Hua Hin day market, which is situated right next to the night market, off Petchkasem Road.
Herbs and Spices
Basil. The Thias use three types of basil. The most important is Thai basil (bai hora-pha ãºâËÃоÒ). It is pungent and has a slight anise flavour. Secondly, there is holy basil (bai grapao ¡Ðà¾ÃÒ) which is slightly hot to taste and redolent of cloves. Finally, there is lemon basil (bai manglaek ãºáÁ§ÅÑ¡) which is used in soups.
Bay leaves (bai grawan 㺡ÃÐÇÒ¹) - normally only used in massaman curries and beef soup.
Cardamon (luk grawan ¡ÃÐÇÒ¹) - normally only used in massaman curries.
Cassia bark (ob choey ͺà©Â) - very similar to cinnamon, but richer in flavour. Again, normally only used in adapted dishes such as massaman curries.
Chillies (prik ¾ÃÔ¡) - it's hard to believe that chillies were only introduced to Thailand by the Portugese in the 16th century. They are now an indispensible component of Thai cooking. The Thais will use many different varities, the most important probably being bird's eye chillies which are small, thin and red or green in colour (prik kii noo suan ¾ÃÔ¡¢Õé˹Ù). These are extremely hot.
Long chillies (prik chii fa ¾ÃÔ¡ªÕé¿éÒ) can be red, green or yellow and are normally used as a garnish or dried in red curry paste.
Coconut (maprao ÁоÃéÒÇ) - this is used in many Thai dishes for texture and flavour. Normally the cream is used and the day market in Hua Hin have a number of stalls with the equipment to press and process the fresh coconuts into cream. This can and does save you a lot of time.
Coriander (pak chii ¼Ñ¡ªÕ) - all of the plant, including the roots, are used in Thai cooking. The roots produce a stronger flavour than the leaves.
Coriander seeds (luuk pak chii ¼Ñ¡ªÕ) - these are normally dry roasted for a short time. You'll know when they're done by the smell.
Cumin seeds (yiira ÂÕèËÃèÒ) - again these are dry roasted and always used in conjunction with coriander seeds, normally in the ratio 2:1 coriander to cumin.
Curries (gaeng ᡧ) and curry pastes - curries (red, green or yellow) are an integral part of most Thai meals. You can prepare the pastes yourself, but in practice it's worth just a couple of extra Baht to buy them ready-made in the Hua Hin day market. They're all authentic and used by the big restaurants.
Fish sauce (nam pla ¹éÓ»ÅèÒ) - made from small fish or prawns that are fermented in the sun for months, it is used widely in Thai cuisine. Although extremely pungent and salty, it does mellow when combined with other ingredients. The residue is often used to make shrimp paste (kapi) which is an absolute essential in Thai cooking.
Galangal (kha ¢èÒ) - this rhizome is used exclusively in Thai cooking. When young, it is added to soups and when more mature it is an ingredient in curry pastes.
Garlic (gratiam ¡ÃÐà·ÕÂÁ) - Thai garlic is much smaller than its western counterpart and less pungent.
Ginger (king ¢Ô§) - mature ginger is used in soups and some curry pastes, whilst if younger, it is widely used in salads, soups and curries.
Jasmine (mali horm ÁÐÅÔ) - these buds are soaked in water ovenight and the water then used to make desserts, sweet coconut cream and perfumed rice.
Kaffir lime (makrut ÁСÃÙ´) - the leaves are used widely for their fragrance in soups, salads, and garnish for curries.
Shrimp paste (gapi ¡Ð»Ô) - made from fremented shrimps that have been dried in the sun, this extremely pungent paste is an aquired taste, but really essential to many Thai dishes. Indeed, many Thais believe it to contain the essence of their cooking.
Lesser galangal (krachai ¡ÃЪÒÂ) - normally sweetened with some sugar for a few minutes before use, it is included in jungle curries and with fish.
Lemongrass (takrai µÐä¤Ãé) - used in curries and soups (particularly hot and sour ones - tom yams). It is very fragrant.
Limes (manao ÁйÒÇ) - Thai limes are smaller and sweeter than western ones. Both the juice and zest are extensively used in many dishes.
Mace (dawk jan ÅÙ¡¨Ñ¹) - this outer sheath of the nutmeg is primarily used in massaman curries.
Mint (bai sarae nae ÊÐÃÐá˹è) - normally quite small-leafed and very fragrant.
Northern fish sauce (nam pla ra ¹éÓ»ÅÒÃéÒ) - made from a freshwater mud fish that is fermented for months. Extremely pungent and used with fish and in northern salads and curries.
Nutmeg (luuk jan ¨Ñ¹·¹ìà·È) - always used roasted.
Pandanus leaves (bai toei horm ãºàµÂ) - mainly used in desserts, they add a savoury flavour.
Peppercorns (prik thai ¾ÃÔ¡ä·Â) - normally, only white corns are used for seasoning and green in jungle curries and stir-fries.
Shallots (horm daeng ËÍÁá´§) - one of the most important ingredients in Thai cooking. Used liberally in salads, curry pastes and to perfume soups.
Tamarind (makam sot/bliak ÁТÒÁ) - fresh tamarind is widely used in soups and nam prik.
Turmeric (kamin ¢ÁÔé¹) - this rhizome, which is related to ginger, has a strong smell and should be used sparingly.
Vinegar (nam som sai chu ¹éÓÊÑÁÊÒªÙ) - Thais use a white vinegar based on coconut. Whilst pungent if served alone, it is pleasant when combined with other ingredients and can be used in the place of lime juice.
A full list of herbs and spices can be found here:
http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/bin/thai.cgi
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