Is green curry not spicy?
It is spicy. Even if coconut milk makes it feel mild, the curry paste is made with chilies. If you do not handle spicy food well, it helps to ask about the spice level before you order.
Green curry (kaeng khiao wan)
Kaeng Khiao Wan · แกงเขียวหวาน
If you want a fragrant curry with rice, choose green curry. Green curry paste is stirred into coconut milk and simmered with meat and vegetables. The richness of coconut is joined by the scent of herbs such as basil. The pale green color looks mild, but it has heat too, so if you do not handle spicy food well, say so when you order.
Thai green chicken curry and roti · Takeaway · CC BY-SA 3.0
Resized for display · Photo provided under CC BY-SA 3.0
What does it taste like?
Behind the rich, smooth taste of coconut milk you feel the heat of the curry paste. The herb aroma is clear, too. Put a little curry and some of the pieces on your rice at a time.
Even with coconut milk, it is spicy. Ask about the spice level when you order.
Dish basics
- Dish name
- Green curry (kaeng khiao wan) · Kaeng Khiao Wan
- Thai name
- แกงเขียวหวาน
- Type
- Soups and curries
- Regional link
- Central Thailand · Central Thai food culture · eaten across the country
- Main ingredients
- Green curry paste and coconut milk are used, and meat and vegetables are simmered in it. Herbs such as basil are sometimes added for aroma.
The dish and its region
Green curry is one of the signature dishes of central Thailand. In Thailand it is eaten not only with steamed rice but also with noodles such as khanom chin, or with roti. On a trip to Bangkok, have a meal of curry with the meat you like, served with rice.
How to order and eat it
- Choose the main ingredient you want, such as chicken, and place your order. If the curry and the rice are sold separately, order the rice too.
- Ask before the dish is made whether the heat can be reduced. Coconut milk in the dish does not mean it is not spicy.
- Spoon a little curry sauce and some pieces over your rice. If you are sharing several dishes, you do not need to pour all the curry over the rice at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is a curry with only vegetables vegetarian?
Not necessarily. Animal-based ingredients can go into the curry paste or the seasonings. If you are vegetarian, ask whether the paste and the sauce are suitable as well as the meat.
More dishes and cities to explore
Official sources
If you want to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are a good next step. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one place to the next.
Sharing image credit: Takeaway · CC BY-SA 3.0