Thai cuisine does not season: it prescribes. Every dish is a built aromatic formula, where galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime are not perfumes but actives: they digest, warm, drain, disperse. Read through TCM, the Thai culinary pharmacopoeia is a flavour system that does exactly what Chinese dietetics asks of herbs: turn the meal into a treatment.
Galangal: the strong cousin of ginger
Galangal (Alpinia galanga) looks like ginger but is not: denser, more peppery, woodier, with a pine note ginger lacks. In phytochemistry it contains galangin, a flavonoid with documented anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, plus essential oils (1,8-cineole) that thin secretions and warm.
In TCM reading, galangal is ginger that has gained strength: warm-hot, pungent, Stomach and Spleen tropism. It disperses Cold, moves Qi, warms the centre. In Thai soups (tom kha) it is there precisely for that: warming the coconut-milk broth, which would otherwise be too fatty and too cold for the Spleen. The difference from ginger: galangal is drier, stronger, less of a gentle tonic; it is used in smaller doses.
Lemongrass and kaffir lime: the citrus herbs that digest
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) are the two citrus-herbs of the Thai wok. Lemongrass brings citral, a digestive and antimicrobial aldehyde; kaffir lime gives its leaves and zest, more floral and more intense than lemon.
In TCM reading, they are the Qi regulators of the meal:
- Lemongrass: cool-warm, aromatic pungent, Stomach and Liver tropism. It moves Qi, lifts digestive stagnation and refreshes at the same time: the perfect compromise for rich dishes.
- Kaffir lime: leaves and zest, pungent-bitter aromatic, Liver and Lung tropism. It disperses stagnation, clarifies the mind (its essential oil is stimulating), and “cuts” the heaviness of coconut milk.
In tom yum, lemongrass and kaffir lime are not decorative: they correct the prawn and the broth, which would be heavy without them. This is the very logic of food flavour: the pungent-aromatic moves what the fat congeals.
Thai basil and coriander: the wok herbs
Thai basil (Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora) is not sweet basil: it is aniseed, peppery, and survives wok heat. Fresh coriander (leaves, stems, pounded roots) is Thailand’s universal finishing herb.
In TCM:
- Thai basil: warm, pungent, Lung and Stomach tropism. It disperses external Cold (it is the early-cold herb of South-East Asia) and relieves bloating. Its heat survives cooking without losing its essence.
- Coriander: cool-warm, sweet pungent, Lung and Spleen tropism. It moves Qi, helps digest fatty foods, and TCM credits it with a mild heavy-metal draining effect (chelation documented in vitro).
Both are added at the end of cooking or raw: their volatile essence is fragile, and that is what we want to keep.
| Aliment | Nature | Saveur | Méridiens | Actions | Précautions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galangal | Warm-hot | Woody pungent | Stomach, Spleen | Disperses Cold, warms the centre, moves Qi; the strong ginger | Drying: moderate if Yin deficiency or dryness |
| Lemongrass | Cool-warm | Lemony pungent | Stomach, Liver, Lung | Moves Qi, lifts digestive stagnation, refreshes rich dishes | Well tolerated; pound the stalk to release the essence |
| Kaffir lime (leaves, zest) | Warm | Floral bitter pungent | Liver, Lung | Disperses stagnation, clarifies, cuts the heaviness of fat | Zest very intense: dose finely |
| Thai basil | Warm | Aniseed pungent | Lung, Stomach | Disperses external Cold, relieves bloating, survives the wok | Add at end of cooking to keep the essence |
| Fresh coriander | Cool-warm | Sweet pungent | Lung, Spleen | Moves Qi, helps digest fats, mild chelation | Pounded roots: stronger than the leaf |
| Thai chilli | Hot | Strong pungent | Heart, Stomach | Disperses, induces sweating, warms interior Cold | Heat fullness, empty Yin, pregnancy: proscribe or strongly reduce |
Each aromatic read by nature, flavour and action
Curry pastes: built aromatic formulas
Thai curry paste is not a mix: it is a formula. Green curry (green chillies, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, coriander root, shallots) is cool-hot; red curry (dried red chillies, same bases) is hotter and deeper; massaman (cinnamon, cardamom, clove, cumin) is the warm curry of Indian influence, the gentlest and most tonic.
Each paste is pounded in a mortar: pounding releases the essential oils and fuses the flavours into a homogeneous paste that cooking disperses. In TCM reading it is a formula of dispersion and warming, designed to turn a coconut-milk dish (fatty, warm, damp) into a meal that nourishes without breeding Dampness. The detail of this logic is in our article on hot foods.
Precautions: chilli, Yin terrains, pregnancy
The Thai pharmacopoeia is potent, not neutral:
- Heat fullness and Yin deficiency (internal heat, night sweats, red tongue): strong chillies, galangal and basil warm an already hot terrain. Reduce chilli, keep lemongrass and coriander.
- Pregnancy: galangal and lemongrass in large quantity are stimulant; concentrated curry pastes are to be moderated. Herbs in normal culinary use remain safe.
- Reflux and sensitive mucosa: chilli irritates; lemongrass and coriander are the gentle substitute aromatics.
- Spleen deficiency with cold: curry pastes are the right choice (they warm), provided they are served on cooked rice and cooked vegetables, not in a raw-cold version.
FAQ
Can galangal replace ginger?
Not really: they are not interchangeable. Galangal is stronger, drier, woodier; ginger is gentler and more tonic. Thai cuisine uses them differently; in dietetics, galangal warms more strongly but nourishes less. For a fragile Spleen, ginger is the gentler choice.
Is lemongrass eaten?
The stalk is pounded and infused in the broth; it is not eaten as such. To consume it, use the tender heart finely sliced, or the stalk pounded into curry paste. The essential oil is in the stalk, not the leaf.
Are shop-bought curry pastes worth it?
A good commercial paste (short ingredient list, no added sugar or glutamate) is acceptable. Homemade pounded in a mortar is superior: the essential oils are fresh, the salt controlled, and the heat adjustable to your terrain.
Eating the pharmacopoeia
Thai cuisine shows that a dish can be a prescription: each aromatic has its nature, its flavour and its function, and curry paste is a built formula. To go deeper into flavours, reread food flavour; for reference spices, our entries on turmeric and ginger.
To go further
Yin Shi ecosystem resources directly related to this article.