Southern Thailand
Regional Background
The Southern region of Thailand is an area ranging from low-lying basin areas where rice and vegetables are cultivated, to wild jungles, mountains and beaches. The famous Phuket is located here, and this area will be particularly familiar to Western holidaymakers. The South is home to many of Thailand’s Muslims, mostly concentrated in the provinces adjacent to Malaysia.
Cuisine characteristics
Southern curries tend to use coconut milk and turmeric. Mussaman curry hails from this region, as does yellow curry or kaeng leuang, made from fish, green squash, pineapple, green beans and green papaya. Cashew nuts and pineapple are also grown in this region and form a familiar part of the cuisine.
Key ingredients
- Fish sauce – this is found in nearly all Thai dishes throughout the country, and provides a very strong aroma and taste.
- Lemongrass – a citrus flavoured herb which can be eaten fresh, dried or powdered. The stalk itself is too hard to be eaten, so it is often finely sliced and added to recipes for a delicate aromatic flavour.
- Galengal – a little like ginger in appearance, but with an earthy aroma and almost a pine citrus taste. It can be used powdered, cut or dried.
- Lime leaf – aromatic leaves which can be used fresh, dried and even frozen. Lime leaf gives a sharp, citrus-y flavour to dishes.
- Thai basil – this has a stronger taste than other sweet basils, and is used to add fragrance to dishes.
- Tamarind – the pulp of the fruit is used in many dishes to provide a slightly sour taste which offsets the sweetness from other flavours.
- Coconut milk – the sweet, milky-white juice of the coconut is added to many Thai curries to provide a rich, creamy texture.
Recipes from Thailand