Thai Peppers … What you probably don’t know …
Thai peppers are an essential ingredient in most Thai dishes.
A couple of things most to be aware of:
There is not one type but dozens of types of Thai peppers. One of the tastiest ones, difficult to find though – but I grow it ! – is what is called here the ‘Thai Super Chile’. It is spicy and very tasty, and of course you will find it in typical Thai dishes in Thailand or in very good Thai restaurants.
The Thai pepper ‘family’ is not as spicy as many people will let you believe. The ‘strength’ of any pepper is measured by the Scoville scale, where each type of pepper is measured in terms of number of SHUs (Scoville Heat Unit). The Thai pepper is typically between 50,000 and 100,000 SHUs. For reference the Mexican Habanero is around 350,000 SHUs. You will find a very good overview and pictures on https://www.cayennediane.com/big-list-of-hot-peppers.
Do yourself a favor … do not accept the use of other peppers – like the Mexican Jalapeño – in your Thai dish. It’s a great pepper, but it doesn’t work for a Thai dish. The taste of the right pepper is essential for the authentic taste of the Thai dish.
Home-grown ‘Thai Super Chile’ … Fresh … Authentic … An indispensable Ingredient in Thai Cooking
