Guide to vegetables, herbs and roots used in Thai cooking.1

Green Papaya (Malagaw) is shredded to make the famous spicy Thai salad called Som Tum! Green unripe papaya is available in most Asian markets.

Culantro (Pak Chee Farang) is usually eaten raw and can also be cut up and added to Laab (Isaan Meat Salad).


Krachet is grown in water and the foam-like material covering the stem must be removed before eating.


Kowtong is eaten raw or can also be used in salads. It has a fish-like flavor.

Kayang is an herb that is eaten raw (in Northeast Thailand) or used to make Om. Kayang has a very unusual flavor.


Katin is eaten raw with Nam Prik and tastes somewhat like Cha-om. It comes in bunches of strings about 4-6 inches in length.


Chive Flowers (Dok Gui Chai) are the flowering tips of chives and are used in stir-fries.

Lin Fah (Dragon Tongue) is usually steamed and eaten with Nam Prik. It's available frozen at some Asian markets

Okra (Makuea Sawanh) is steamed and eaten as a vegetable or used in stir-fries.

Sadao flowers and leaves are very bitter and are eaten with Nam Prik or Laab (Isaan Meat Salad).

Samek leaves are very sour and are eaten with Laab or Nam Prik.

Opo Squash (Nam Tao) is also called bottle gourd or calabash. Opo is used in soups and stir-fries and is also steamed and eaten with Nam Prik.

Banana Flower (Hua Plee) is eaten with Kanom Jeen Namya and Pad Thai. Only the tender inside part is eaten.

Bamboo Shoots (Naw Mai) are used in some Thai curries and a special Isaan curry called Gang Naw Mai.