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5 articles
Jarred Thai curry paste is not the enemy, but not every tub deserves cupboard space. Here is how to read the label, run a quick taste test and decide when a jar saves a British weeknight and when the pestle and mortar earns its keep.
British supermarkets often sell anything green and fragrant as 'Thai basil', but holy basil and horapha do very different jobs in the wok. Here is how to tell them apart, which curries and stir-fries suit each one, and what to buy when your local shop lets you down.
Thai sausage is a whole world past the takeaway menu. A practical guide for British cooks to Northern sai ua, sour naem and pink moo yor — pork ratios, toasted spice paste, curing safety, where to buy in the UK, and a homemade sai ua recipe worth heating the grill for.
UK Asian grocers and supermarket shelves now hold more Thai chillies than most recipes admit. Here is a practical guide to six you can buy in Britain, with heat levels, flavour notes and sensible swaps for the harder-to-find ones.
We bought eight fish sauces from UK supermarkets and Asian grocers and tested them neat, in a raw dipping sauce and in a cooked curry. The cheapest bottle is rarely the best value, and the right nam pla deserves a permanent place in your cupboard.