Thai Chiles and Pepper:
Prior to the importation of chiles by the Portuguese into Thailand from the New World, the heat in Thai cuisine came from peppercorns (black, white, and green), ‘long pepper', and Sichuan peppercorns. Believe it or not, a dish can be extremely piquant solely from the use of peppercorns.

Pepper: phrik thai or prik tai

Pepper comes from several species of a vining tropical plant ( Piper nigrum ), the spice being the fruit, called peppercorns. The plants are grown primarily in the warmer tropical zones of Thailand , and are cultivated on vertical poles, forming a living column of pepper vine which can be as high as 7 to 8 feet, and as wide as 3 to 4 feet. The harvest is at the end of the hot season, meaning late spring to early summer. Black pepper is the dried, unripe berry, consisting of the wrinkled fruit and the seed within. White pepper starts out the same as the black, but is allowed to ripen more fully on the vine. The outer shell (the fruit) is then removed by soaking the berries in water until it falls off, or they are held under flowing spring water, which yields a whiter, cleaner, more superior white peppercorn; white peppercorn is the seed only. Thai white peppercorns are spicier than those found in the West. Green pepper is from the same fruit, but it is harvested before they mature; sold fresh at market, frozen fresh, or pickled in brine (canned or bottled). Pink pepper is made from the ripe, red peppercorns, which are preserved in a manner to retain their color.

Pink peppercorn , Schinus terebinthifolius , which is a berry from a small mastic tree related to cashews, sometimes called Baies Rose. It comes from the French island of Reunión off of the African coast and Brazil (and is now naturalized in Florida ). Pink peppercorns have a brittle, papery pink skin enclosing a hard, irregular seed, much smaller than the whole fruit, with a peppery-sweet flavor.) It is generally not used in Thailand , and is included here simply because it is normally grouped-in with the forms of true pepper.

Black phrik thai Piper nigrum
Green phrik thai onn
White phrik thai khao

Long pepper dee plee Piper retrofractum ( Piper longum is the variety from India )

This spice comes from a flowering vine which resembles the true pepper vine. The spice comes from tiny berries the size of poppy seeds, which merge to form a single, rod-like structure (a catkin); it is actually the dried inflorescence of this species. The flavor is hot and warm, perhaps a little spicier than black pepper, with sweet overtones. Although it fell out of popularity with the introduction of chile peppers, it is still used in Thailand , as well as the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia , and Malaysia .

Sichuan peppercorns ma lar , mak kak Zanthoxylum alatum , Z. piperitum
phrik horm , kamchadtan , makhaun , ma kwaen , macquem Zanthoxylum limonella

The knobby, pinkish-gray seed husks of a type of prickly ash tree, which is used to add a unique spiciness to the dishes of Sichuan , China . They have a woodsy, citrusy, aromnatic, slightly spicy flavor which produces a distinct numbness on the tongue and in the mouth. Two different types are used in Thailand , primarily in Chinese dishes.

Chiles :
Chiles were imported into Thailand by the Portuguese in 1529, and it took as little as 30 years for them to be adopted into the cuisine throughout the entire country, a large area which included parts of Cambodia and Laos at the time. In contrast, it took 200 years for chiles to spread throughout Europe after their introduction from the New World . Prior to the arrival of chiles, the main spice used for heat in Thai cooking was peppercorns.

There are ten main types of chiles that are commonly used (seven are listed here), and they have a tendency to interbreed freely and naturalize in the wild, making positive identification difficult as natural hybrids emerge. Birds are the main vector for naturalization, and birds have imported varieties from the Indian subcontinent, China , and surrounding countries in Southeast Asia and Indonesia through the years as they fly along migratory routes or migrate beyond their established biozones.

When making chiles in vinegar ( nahm sam phrik ) as a condiment for the table, when Thai sky-pointing or banana stalk chiles are not available, use Serrano chiles as a substitute: Jalapeños will not retain their crispness in vinegar nearly as well as Serranos.

Chilies: Prik or Phrik
Capsicum annum cv. group longum = the longer varieties
Capsicum frutescens = the shorter (hotter) varieties

‘Mouse dropping' prik khii nuu Capsicum frutescens minimum
60-80K Scoville units, although this number could be much, much higher. Some claim that these chiles are second only to habaneros in heat index.

‘Farm' mouse dropping prik khii nuu suan
Shorter, fatter, with smaller seeds; also known as ‘scuds' by some food writers

‘Dragon's eye' mouse dropping prik khii nuu sun yaew
4cm; more narrow and tapering than ‘farm' mouse dropping chiles

The mouse dropping family of chiles gets its name from their resemblance to mouse feces when the chiles are dried, although some claim that they are hot enough to make a mouse collapse should the rodent eat one. They are the hottest chiles used in Thailand , and generally they are used fresh. Some cooks grind them in a mortar and pestle to add overall heat to a dish, while some cooks will leave these chiles whole or in large segments in a dish, so that they can be easily removed by the diner.

‘Sky pointing' prik chii faa Capsicum annuum acuminatum
6-10cm; red, green, yellow; 35-45K Scovilles (although this number is greatly variable). The name of this chile comes from the plant's propensity to bear fruit around the exterior of the plant, which all seem to point their tapered ends towards the sky. As an added benefit, the fruits are thus easier to harvest.

Red Thai ‘jalapeños' prik chii faa daeng
This chile bears a faint resemblance to the jalapeño chile from Xalapa in Mexico in size and shape, although the taste is unique, of medium hotness, and with a mild fruitiness. It ripens to red.

‘Banana stalk' chile prik yuak
10-15cm; yellow-green, turning to red when mature.
These chiles are light greenish-yellow when immature, with a blocky stem end, tapering to a point. They are milder in taste than the standard Thai chile, and are used in spicy salads, in chile dips for their aroma, and stir-fried in meat dishes for flavor and fragrance.

Orange chile prik daeng
3cm, thin-fleshed, very hot, slightly sour. This chile ripens to a rich, orange color when mature.

Long red chile prik yai haeng
A long, hot, dried native chile from Nan province, which is similar in appearance, heat, and taste to the standard dried chile of Sichuan and Southern China .

Yellow chile prik leuang
This chile is milder and fruitier than the standard Thai chile, with a tapered shape and slightly longer length. It ripens to a rich, golden yellow color. Popular for making yellow Siracha sauce, and for nam phrik chile dips.

Green pepper prik kiao
A generic term which can apply to many different Thai chiles, as long as they are not ripe. It can also be used to refer to the mid-length Thai green chile that is relatively thin-walled and milder in heat. It is roasted and peeled to make nam phrik chile dip in Northern Thailand .

Sweet bell pepper prik waan, prik yak, prik yuat Capsicum annuum var. grossum

Red bell pepper prik yuat daeng
Contrary to their frequent use in Thai restaurants in America , bell peppers are very seldom used in traditional Thai cuisine. In Thailand these are used there as a fusion cuisine ingredient, or as quartered pieces that are stuffed with a forcemeat of pork or seafood and deep-fried. It is rare to see sweet peppers used in Thai cuisine, and in the States, they are often used as a ‘stretcher' ingredient, to add low-cost vegetable bulk to a dish.

Fresh chile prik sot

Dried chile prik haeng

Spiciness, or pungency, isn't really a taste, but scientifically, is actually a chemical irritation of the trigeminal mouth nerves caused by capsaicin, the active ingredient in chiles. It's similar to the subtle irritation caused by piperine in pepper, gingerol in ginger and its relatives, and isothiocyanates in garlic, shallots, and onions; minor irritants which trigger the production of endorphins in the brain, and endorphins produce a sense of well-being. All of these ingredients, by the way, are aromatics and seasonings used heavily in Thai cooking. In short, Thai food makes you, and your brain, very happy and content.