When I found out I was coming to Thailand, most people I told were excited for me to learn how to cook real authentic Thai food. I don’t feel like I have learned that much, but I think that is because the host family that I spent time with when my language was at the level of rudimentary communication wasn’t very good in the kitchen. My first host family was awesome and I plan to visit with them and spend all of my time with them in the kitchen. But one thing I have picked up on are the things that are in Thai kitchens. Here are five things you need in your kitchen if you want to cook like the Thais do.
Wok
So much food here is fried or sautéed or flash fried or even just heated up again in a wok. Flat-bottomed frying pans are rare. I have only seen what I would call large woks being used, but I have seen small ones for sale at the big box stores. I’ve also see HUGE woks used at street food stands. Pretty much, get yourself one.
Long-Handled Spatula
This goes along with the wok. Thai people only ever cook over the highest possible setting on their propane burners and unless you want to get some burns from the oil that is snapping and popping in the wok, you will want something with a long handle to stir the things you put in your wok.
Rice Cooker
It’s not a meal unless you eat rice. Even the question “Gin khao ru yang?” that we translate as “Have you eaten yet?” is literally translated as “Have you eaten rice yet?” So if you are going to have a meal, you are having rice, and the easiest way to make rice is with a rice cooker. Saves time of standing over the stove making sure you don’t burn it, it can keep it warm after it’s done cooking and you won’t use up the gas from your propane tank for your burner. I’ve seen some gigantic rice cookers here, too.
Charcoal Stove
Some Thai dishes, usually kanomes or snacks, are slowly cooked over a low heat. Or sometimes something needs to be simmered for a long time. You don’t want to use up all of you gas, so there are these charcoal stoves. They allow you to use coals to maintain a lower heat over a longer period of time to cook these things. I’ve only seen them made out of clay ceramic.
Pestle and mortar
OK, so this one is actually two things, but you can’t have one without the other really. Who likes chopping garlic? No one? That’s what I thought. Neither do Thai people, so instead they just throw it in the mortar, smash it up a couple of times and voila! This is also used to make one of my favorite Thai dishes: somtam, which is a spicy papaya salad. Throw in the garlic and chilli pepper or two, smash smash, throw in some shredded green papaya, carrots, chopped long beans, tomatoes, peanuts, a squeeze of lime, soy sauce (usually fish sauce), smash smash, some salted egg, smash smash, and serve it up. Yum.
