The first matter I want to clear up with Thai cooking is FLAVOR BALANCE.

A very common misunderstanding that is taught in the west is that Thai cooking is all about balancing Hot, Sweet, Salty and Sour.

Now if that is the case you will end up with the same seasoning taste for everything you cook…  Boooring.

The Thai has a word: “klom grom” meaning: correct flavor (not flavor balance – FLAVOR!) for a particular dish.  This means that sometimes a dish follows a base pattern when you taste it, for eg. Mussaman curry, its strongest flavor is sweet followed by sour then salty and so on.  These seasoning patterns harmonize or enhance the ingredients of the dish you are cooking.  Feel free to alter the strength of each flavor but stick to the sequence of the base pattern if you want it to taste the best it can.

When I talk about certain dishes or recipes in the future I will recommend the sequence of the base pattern.

Remember, Thai cooking is about using your senses but these base patterns should always be followed.

You have to harmonize the seasoning in relation to the main ingredients, eg meat,veg and curry base in harmony with the seasoning.