Thai Bird Chiles

There is no single “Thai chile pepper” though most candidates for the title are small in size and high in heat. All Thai peppers appeared from three species that were introduced into Thailand -- Capsicum annuum, Capsicum chinense and Capsicum frutescens from which there are at least 79 separate sub-varieties.

These little Thai chiles are red in color, thin and pointed, they're closely related to the cayenne chile and they have a thin but tough textured outer skin that packs a fiery heat that lingers with cooking.

There are approximately 55 Thai chiles per ounce.

History of Thai Chiles

Ask a typical Thai where chiles come from and many would probably swear that chiles are indigenous to Thailand as chiles are so indispensable to their cooking and deeply entrenched in their culture.

In the 16th century Portuguese sailors arrived on the eastern shores bringing with them chiles from the New World which almost immediately became embraced by the Thais and today they’re a key ingredient in numerous dishes.

Until 1939 Thailand was known as Siam and it’s the only Southeast Asian country never colonized by the West. This helped Thailand maintain its own unique cuisine. However, that cuisine has been greatly influenced by its Asian neighbors.

Cultivating Thai Chiles

Chiles are considered one of the most important vegetable crops in Thailand and of the 79 sub-varieties of chiles grown in the country there are two varieties that make up the majority of the commercial production -- bird pepper (called "prik khee nu") and the ubiquitously named "chili" (called "prik khee fab"). The Bird Pepper variety is the more popular of the two and in the last reporting year (as reported by the United Nations) there were over 175,000 acres devoted to chiles in Thailand with almost 70% of this acreage devoted to the bird peppers.

Bird Peppers are typically 1.2" to 2" long, about .25” in diameter and the crop is primarily raised from farmer-saved seed so there is some flavor and heat differences from area to area. Four of the most popular of this group of chiles are Huarea, Huaysithon, Jinda and Yodsoen.

Thai Bird Peppers should not be confused with Bird's Eye Chiles which are smaller (typically between ½” and 1” in length) and grown primarily in Africa and India and are smaller.

Cooking with Thai Chiles

In the last 10-15 years Americans have become enamored with crazy hot chiles and hot sauces. Now while Thai food is some of the hottest and spiciest around in the world, Thai chefs find the West’s fixation on heat for heat’s sake to be a bit of an adolescent approach to chiles. In Thailand chiles have been an integral part of the cuisine for centuries and they look at the point of chiles as not just the heat but the way chiles should enhance the flavors of other ingredients.

When it comes to Thai cuisine, attention to detail is of paramount importance with each step being just as important as the one before it and the one that follows. Each component of a Thai meal must satisfactorily appeal to four of your five senses and Thai cuisine is based around five essential flavors: salty, sour, spicy, bitter and sweet. Chiles aren’t meant to overwhelm or clobber the taste buds but to act as a counterpoint to the other four essential flavors (the chiles are considered a spicy essential flavor).

Thai cuisine has a subtle complexity that often revolves around cilantro, coconut, galangal, lemongrass and rice. Rice has been an important component in Thai cuisine for nearly 5000 years and it's served with nearly every meal. The two primary types of rice used in Thai cooking, are a long-grain rice called Jasmine rice and a short-grained rice called sticky rice or sweet rice.

While dried red chiles are a critical component in Thai cuisine, Thai cooks also make extensive use of fresh green and yellow chiles, to form a “holy trinity” of sorts similar to the Cajun holy trinity of bell peppers, onions and celery and the Mexican holy trinity of ancho, pasilla and mulato chiles.

Each Thai dish will typically feature one of these chiles although they can be substituted for each other in a pinch. Proper presentation is a crucial component of authentic Thai cuisine and the three chile colors are carefully selected to heighten the visual appeal of their dishes in addition to adding sought after spicy flavor. Both dried and fresh chile peppers are used and are often used whole.

In Thai cuisine dried Thai chiles are added to broths, coconut soups, authentic Thai curry, noodle dishes, salads (only use a few), sauces and stir fries. We used Thai chiles in our recipe for Thai Basil Chicken Soup.

For a real treat mix with salt and sugar to create a condiment that complements just about any fresh fruit. Make ahead of time to allow the flavor of the chiles to marry with the salt and sugar and then remove the chiles before adding to the fruit.

Lightly roast Thai chiles with fish sauce, garlic and sugar, then toss with cooked shrimp and top with fresh Thai basil. In a blender mix Thai chiles with shredded coconut, curry leaves, garlic and ginger and use the resulting paste on sweet potatoes. Blend together Thai chiles with fish sauce, lime juice and sugar for a light marinade for chicken or fish.

To rehydrate dried Thai chiles soak in hot water for approximately 10 minutes or add early in the cooking process to any recipe with sufficient liquid.

What Do Thai Chiles Taste Like

The flavor profile of Thai chiles is a slight fruity taste with a strong spiciness.

How Hot are Thai Chiles

These Thai Bird Chiles come in at 70,000-130,000 SHU.

Thai Chile Substitutions and Conversions

If you’re looking for a substitution for Thai chiles in a recipe you can use dried or fresh cayenne or serrano chiles.

If converting from dried chiles to a ground powder use 1 Thai Chile equals approximately ½ teaspoon of Thai Chile Powder.

** This product is certified kosher.