''Nam phrik'' ( th, น้ำพริก, ) is a type of Thai

spicy Pungency () refers to the taste of food commonly referred to as spiciness, hotness or heat, found in foods such as chili peppers. Highly pungent tastes may be experienced as unpleasant. The term piquancy () is sometimes applied to foods with a l ...

chili sauce Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers. Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauces ...

typical of

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai ...

. Usual ingredients for ''nam phrik'' type sauces are fresh or dry chilies, garlic,

shallot The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the ...

lime juice A lime (from French ''lime'', from Arabic ''līma'', from Persian ''līmū'', "lemon") is a citrus fruit, which is typically round, green in color, in diameter, and contains acidic juice vesicles. There are several species of citrus trees ...

and often some kind of

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

shrimp paste Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are ei ...

. In the traditional way of preparing these sauces, the ingredients are pounded together using a

mortar and pestle Mortar and pestle is a set of two simple tools used from the Stone Age to the present day to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste or powder in the kitchen, laboratory, and pharmacy. The ''mortar'' ( ...

, with either

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

fish sauce Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao ...

added to taste. ''Nam phrik'' type sauces are normally served on small

saucer A saucer is a type of small dishware. While in the Middle Ages a saucer was used for serving condiments and sauces, currently the term is used to denote a small plate or shallow bowl that supports a cup – usually one used to serve coffee ...

s placed by the main dish as a

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

or dip for bland preparations, such as raw or

boiled greens Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

, fish, poultry and meats. Depending on the type, the region and the family that prepares it, ''nam phrik'' may vary in texture from a liquid to a paste to an almost dry, granular, or powdery consistency. Instead of ''khrueang kaeng'' or ''phrik kaeng'', the words ''nam phrik'' can also be used to denote

Thai curry Thai curry ( th, แกง, translit=kaeng, ) is a dish in Thai cuisine made from curry paste, coconut milk or water, meat, seafood, vegetables or fruit, and herbs. Curries in Thailand mainly differ from the curries in India in their use of ingr ...

pastes such as in ''nam phrik kaeng som'' for ''

kaeng som Thai curry ( th, แกง, translit=kaeng, ) is a dish in Thai cuisine made from curry paste, coconut milk or water, meat, seafood, vegetables or fruit, and herbs. Curries in Thailand mainly differ from the curries in India in their use of in ...

'' or ''nam phrik kaeng phet'' for '' kaeng phet''.

History

The first Westerner to report of ''nam phrik'' was

Simon de la Loubère Simon de la Loubère (; 21 April 1642 – 26 March 1729) was a French diplomat to Siam (Thailand), writer, mathematician and poet. He is credited with bringing back a document which introduced Europe to Indian astronomy, the "Siamese method" ...

, a French ambassador to the court of Ayutthaya. In 1687–88 he noted that it contains "a mustard like sauce, which consisted of crayfish corrupted (fermented fish); which they called ''

kapi Kapi, Kapı, or KAPI may refer to: Places * Kapi, Estonia, a village in Estonia * Kapı, Karataş, a village in Turkey * a possible old volcanic eruption site near Krakatoa People * Mari Kapi (1950–2009), Papua New Guinean judge * Mustafa ...

''." King Chulalongkorn, regarded as one of the greatest kings of Thailand, repeatedly stated during his tour of Europe in 1907 that, besides ''khai chiao'' (omelette), he most missed ''nam phrik''. The chef David Thompson, an acknowledged expert on Thai cuisine, writes, "They are at the very core of Thai cooking and have fed the Thai from their distant past to the present." Chili peppers originated in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, where they have been cultivated for over 6,000 years. They were probably introduced to Asia, and Thailand, in the 16th century by

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

emissaries and traders in what is known as the Columbian Exchange. Before chili peppers were known and enthusiastically embraced in Thai cuisine, other spices such as

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...

long pepper Long pepper (''Piper longum''), sometimes called Indian long pepper or ''thippali'', is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. Long pepper has a taste simi ...

, and Sichuan pepper were used instead to achieve the desired "

spiciness Pungency () refers to the taste of food commonly referred to as spiciness, hotness or heat, found in foods such as chili peppers. Highly pungent tastes may be experienced as unpleasant. The term piquancy () is sometimes applied to foods with a l ...

Selected types

Types of ''nam phrik'' vary according to the ingredients, the preparation and the region. Some may include

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae ...

green mango The green mango (''Anthracothorax viridis'') is a large species of hummingbird in the subfamily Polytminae. It is endemic to the main island of Puerto Rico.HBW and BirdLife International (2020) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLi ...

galangal Galangal () is a common name for several tropical rhizomatous spices. Differentiation The word ''galangal'', or its variant ''galanga'' or archaically ''galingale'', can refer in common usage to the aromatic rhizome of any of four plant spec ...

lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

, and/or

mushrooms A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

and even ingredients such as frog. If fish paste is used, it may be made in a variety of ways, by mincing dried, boiled, grilled or salted fish, or by using

fish roe Roe ( ) or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked in ...

. In

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan ( Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 prov ...

, ''

pla ra ''Pla ra'' ( th, ปลาร้า, ), similar to padaek in Laos, is a traditional Thai seasoning produced by fermenting fish with rice bran or roasted rice flour and salt fermented in a closed container for at least six months. Fermented ...

'', giving an intense flavor, is often used. Some types of ''nam phrik'' may be sweetened with sugar. A Thai cook book from 1974 lists over 100 different recipes. Among the most widespread varieties, the following deserve mention: *''Nam phrik kapi'' ( th, น้ำพริกกะปิ) is one of the most widespread varieties and is typical of central Thailand. It contains fermented shrimp paste, lime, chilies, and often pea eggplant. It is often eaten with fried ''

pla thu The short mackerel or shortbodied mackerel (''Rastrelliger brachysoma'') is a species of mackerel in the family Scombridae. Its habitat is the shallow waters of Southeast Asia and Melanesia, feeding mainly on small zooplankton. It is of major im ...

'' and vegetables, among other dishes. *''Nam phrik kha'' ( th, น้ำพริกข่า) is made with roasted chilies, garlic, galangal and salt. This northern Thai specialty is often served as a dip for steamed mushrooms. * ''Nam phrik kung siap'' ( th, น้ำพริกกุ้งเสียบ) is a Southern Thai specialty popular in the provinces of

Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...

and

Krabi Krabi ( th, กระบี่, ) is the main town in the province of Krabi (''thesaban mueang'') on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River where it empties in Phang Nga Bay. As of 2020, the town had a population of ...

. It is made from crispy smoked dried shrimp (kung siap), shallots, garlic,

bird's eye chili Bird's eye chili or Thai chili (Thai: ''prik ki nu'', พริกขี้หนู, literally "mouse dung chili" owing to its shape) is a chili pepper, a variety from the species ''Capsicum annuum'' native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southea ...

and seasoned with lime juice, palm sugar, and

. *'' Nam phrik long ruea'' ( th, น้ำพริกลงเรือ; lit. "In the boat chili paste") is an elaborate fried ''nam phrik'' using several kinds of fruits such as ''

Garcinia ''Garcinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae native to Asia, America, Australia, tropical and southern Africa, and Polynesia. The number of species is disputed; Plants of the World Online (POWO) recognise up to 400. Common ...

schomburgkiana'' and ''

Solanum ferox ''Solanum lasiocarpum'', synonym ''Solanum ferox'' L., otherwise known as Indian nightshade or hairy-fruited eggplant, is a plant that produces edible fruit. Its flowers are white and its fruits are pale yellow. ''S. lasiocarpum'' is found wild ...

'',

dried shrimp Dried shrimp are shrimp that have been sun-dried and shrunk to a thumbnail size. They are used in many East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cuisines, imparting a unique umami taste. A handful of shrimp is generally used for dishes. The fla ...

, sweet pork, and shrimp paste in addition to chilies, garlic and sugar. It is eaten with

salted duck egg A salted duck egg is an East Asian preserved food product made by soaking duck eggs in brine, or packing each egg in damp, salted charcoal. In Asian supermarkets across the Western world, these eggs are sometimes sold covered in a thick layer ...

, fresh greens, and, for instance, sliced ''

Zedoary ''Curcuma zedoaria'' (zedoary, white turmeric, or temu putih) is a perennial herb and member of the genus ''Curcuma'', family Zingiberaceae. The plant is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia but is now naturalized in other places including t ...

'' ("white turmeric"). *''Nam phrik maeng da'' ( th, น้ำพริกแมงดา) incorporates roasted and pounded ''maeng da'' (''

Lethocerus indicus ''Lethocerus indicus'' is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeast China, the Ryukyu Islands, and New Guinea.P. J. Perez-Goodwyn (2006). ''Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethoc ...

'', a kind of

Giant water bug Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas (in Florida). They are the largest insects in the ord ...

) for its specific taste. *''Nam phrik narok'' ( th, น้ำพริกนรก) literally translates to "chili paste from hell". It is made with dried chilies, shrimp paste, catfish, shallots, garlic, fish sauce and sugar. *'' Nam phrik num'' ( th, น้ำพริกหนุ่ม), a thick northern specialty based on roasted green chilies, onion and garlic, is usually eaten along with vegetables, pork cracklings, and sticky rice. *'' Nam phrik ong'' ( th, น้ำพริกอ่อง) is a traditional specialty of

northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is geographically characterised by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them. Though like most of Thailan ...

made with minced pork and tomato. *''

Nam phrik phao ''Nam phrik phao'' ( th, น้ำพริกเผา) is a type of Thai spicy chili sauce known as ''nam phrik'', one of the chilli pastes used in Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Th ...

'' ( th, น้ำพริกเผา) is sweetened with sugar and, among other ingredients, roasted chilies and tamarind. It is popular as a spread on bread or toast. It can also be used as an ingredient, for instance in ''

tom yum Tom yum or tom yam (, ; th, ต้มยำ, ) is a type of hot and sour Thai soup, usually cooked with shrimp (prawn). The words "tom yam" are derived from two Thai words. ''Tom'' refers to the boiling process, while ''yam'' means 'mixed'. ...

'' or in the

Thai salad Salads that are internationally known as Thai salads with a few exceptions fall into four main preparation methods. In Thai cuisine these are called ''yam, tam, lap'' and ''phla''. A few other dishes can also be regarded as being a salad. Overvi ...

with squid called ''phla pla muek''. * ''Nam phrik pla ching chang'' ( th, น้ำพริกปลาฉิ้งฉ้าง) is based on small, local

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

(''

Stolephorus ''Stolephorus'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. Species These are the currently recognized species in this genus: * '' Stolephorus acinaces'' Harutaka Hata & Sébastien Lavoué & Motomura, 2020 * ''Stolephorus advenus'' ...

'') popular in

. * ''Nam phrik pla ra'' ( th, น้ำพริกปลาร้า) is made with ''pla ra'' as one of the main ingredients. Like most types of ''nam phrik'', a little water is used if the mixture becomes too thick. * ''Nam phrik pla salat pon'' (น้ำพริกปลาสลาดป่น), also known as ''phrik pla salat pon'', is a variety of ''nam phrik'' with powdered, roasted, dry ''pla salat'' ('' Notopterus notopterus''). All main ingredients (the dry fish, red dry chili and garlic) are previously roasted until crunchy. Shrimp paste and sugar are also added, and the mixture is pounded with a

. It is eaten with raw vegetables, and is popular in Khorat. * ''Nam phrik pla yang'' ( th, น้ำพริกปลาย่าง) is mainly minced, grilled fish, usually '' pla chon'', mixed with onion, garlic, powdered chili,

, shrimp paste, fish sauce and sugar. *''Nam phrik tai pla'' (น้ำพริกไตปลา), one of its main ingredients is ''

tai pla ''Kaeng tai pla'' ( th, แกงไตปลา, ) is a curry of southern Thai cuisine. Its name is derived from ''tai pla'', a salty sauce made from fermented fish entrails, which gives the curry a strong smell and flavor. This curry is usuall ...

'', a sauce used in the

southern Thai Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounded t ...

cuisine made with the fermented innards of the short-bodied mackerel. Akkasit Jongjareonrak et al. ''Antioxidant activity of fermented fish viscera (Tai-Pla) from short-bodied mackerel'', Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90112 Thailand

References

External links

{{portal bar, Food Chili pepper dishes Dips (food) Thai cuisine Chili sauce and paste Spicy foods

History

Selected types

See also

References

External links