INTRODUCTION (4)

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Kale, phak kha-na, ผักคะน้า, Barassica oleracea (acepphala variety) has leathery grey-green leavees on thik stalks.Stalk lovers buy the large variety, while those partial to the leaves get the dwarf variety.

Garlic plant, ton kra-thiam, ต้นกระเทียม, Allium sativum, is the young plant picked before the bulb has formed. The leaves are flat and folded length-wise.

Chinese chives, ton kui chai, ต้นกุ้นช่าย, Allium tuberosum, looks something like spring shallot.the leaves, however, are solid, flat,and fairly thick the stem and lower part of the leaves are served on the side of dishes such as phad thai,and the chopped leaves are used as a garnish.

Bitter gourd, ma-ra, มะระ, Momordica charantia, also called bitter cucumber, carilla fruit, or balsam pear, is an oblong fruit, pointed at one end, which has a handsome pale green surface covered with an irregular pattern of ridged. There are also smalldark green varieties. The young leaves and shoots are also eaten. All are bitter to the taste.

Yard-long beans, thua fuk yao,ถั่วฝักยาว, also known as yaed-long beans, have pods up to 60 cm. long. These are eatent both fresh and cooked and are at their best when young and slender.

The bamboo shoot used in the recipes is naw mai ruak, หน่อไม้รวก, the shoot of the bamboo Thyrsostachys siamensis. The peeled, boiled shoot is a pleasing yellow.

Green peppeer, phrik-thai-awn, พริกไทยอ่อน, is almost pepper berries which are pruned from that the remaining berries can develop fully. When nearly ripe pepper corns are dried in the sun, they are called black pepper, and when fully matured corns are sun dried, they thke on a whitish color, and so are called white pepper. Black pepper is not so hot as white pepper, and so green peppeer is not very hot.Green pepper is used in curries made without coconut milk, in Thai-style stir-fried dishes,and in chilli sauces. If kept long. green pepper will go bad, so it is usually not wased. If it is washed, it should be dried and then placed in a container in the refrigerator. Green prpper is not as frarant as dried pepper.

Hot chillies, phrik khi nu, พริกขี้หนู, are the hottest type and the smallest, being only about a centimeter long.

Spur chilli, phrik chi fa, พริกชี้ฟ้า, have plume lang-like fruits 7-12 cm. long. The green immature fruits become red, orange, or yellow when ripe.

Coconut milk, ka-thi, กะทิ, A fine strainer should be positioned below the hand during squeezing to catch any meat that falls. Many cooks add a little salt to the water or the milk.