Thai herbs: lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf

X.O. Dried Lemongrass is dried lemongrass, the herb that is called takrai in Thai and that you also know as sereh in the Netherlands. It tastes fresh and lemony, but without the sourness of a lemon, and it gives soups and curries a light, fragrant top note. You find fresh lemongrass in the toko: you mainly use the bottom, light part of the stalk, remove the tough outer leaves and crush the stalk with the side of your knife, so that the scent is released into the broth. For a curry paste you cut that soft part very finely, so that it can completely blend into the paste.

X.O. Galangal Root is dried galangal, in Thai kha and in the Netherlands often called laos. It is family with ginger, but the taste is different: sharper, somewhat peppery and with something that reminds of pine and citrus, without the warm sweetness of ginger. In tom kha gai it is already in the name, because tom kha means something like boiled galangal. Ginger is therefore not a real replacement.

Erawan Dried Kaffir Lime Leaf are the leaves of the kaffir lime, which in Thailand is called makrut and in Indonesia djeroek poeroet. You recognize it by the double leaf. The scent is intense and fresh, a bit like lime peel, and that is mainly in the oil in the leaf. In soup you tear the leaves in half and let them cook along; in a panang curry you remove the hard middle vein and cut the leaf into very thin strips, which you can just eat.

Nguan Soon Dried Sweet Basil Leaf is dried Thai basil (horapa), which tastes sweet and anise-like and that you stir into green and red curry. Holy basil (krapow) is another plant, with a peppery, slightly clove-like taste, and that is the leaf that gives pad krapow its name. Fresh you find horapa in the toko; for krapow and for days that you do not have fresh leaf, there are dried leaves and ready-made stir-fry pastes.

Ground coriander seeds is the coriander that you taste in red, yellow and massaman curry paste, but Thai cooks actually use the whole plant. The fresh leaf (phak chi) you sprinkle over soup, salad and noodles. The root, with the deepest flavor, is finely pounded in curry pastes and marinades. Loose coriander root we do not sell, but sometimes it is still on a fresh bunch from the toko; otherwise you take the bottom part of the stalks, that comes closest to it.

Red Hill Dried Horn Chili is a dried long red pepper, the milder kind that you soak and finely grind for a red curry paste or nam prik. Besides that you have the small, bright bird's eye chilies (prik kee noo) that go in pad krapow, tom yum and dip sauces. Those you find fresh in the toko; in the recipes you crush them a bit, so that the seed draws into the broth without someone biting on a whole pepper.

Asian Boy Fried Garlic shows just how important garlic (kratiam) is in Thailand: even as a crispy garnish, it goes on rice, soup and noodles. Raw garlic and small red shallots (hom daeng), together with chili, form the base of almost every curry paste, and when cooking in a wok you often start with a handful of chopped garlic and pepper in hot oil, as you would for pad krapow. Sprinkle fried shallots and garlic over your dish just before serving.

Lobo Tom Yum Paste shows that you don't always need each herb separately, as this sachet already combines lemongrass, galangal, shallot and chili. These are the same authentic sachets you'll find in supermarkets in Thailand. Fresh herbs have the freshest aroma and are available at Asian grocery stores, but we don't sell fresh herbs online. Dried lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves keep for months in the cupboard and are ideal for stock and soup. Ground herbs are handy for marinades, while a paste is the quickest way to achieve a well-balanced flavor.

Not sure where to start? Keep dried lemongrass, dried galangal and a sachet of kaffir lime leaves on hand, as they're all you need to make tom yum or tom kha gai; if you're short on time, use tom yum or tom kha paste and add just a few fresh herbs from an Asian grocery store.