Thai spices

Post by **STEVE G** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:12 pm

I have a strange request here. On friday night at a party in Luxembourg, a friend of a friend asked me if I could get her some Thai spices that she had been unable to find in Europe. She wrote the names on a piece of paper and I said I would see what I could do.
The only problem is that she seems to have written them down in Luxembourgish and whilst I’ve managed to work out most of them, I wonder if anyone can recognise what this is:

Kaffir-Limone blieder, which I assume is the same as Kaffir-Limonenblatter which I found on a German site.

If anyone has the culinary or linguistic skills to come up with an English or Thai translation of that I would be very grateful.

Post by **lindosfan1** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:39 pm

Hope this helps: Kaffir is a type of lime, Limone I suspect is lemon, blieder
could mean blend, therefore a blend of lemon and lime leaves.
As per google
Thai wife just come in bai makood used in tom yum with lemon grass lime and chilli

Post by **STEVE G** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:44 pm

Thank-you for that lindosfan, it’s a help already as I couldn’t work out what a Kaffir was.
Maybe I can get further information from the net now.

Post by **Winkie** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:48 pm

Kaffir Lime Leaves, available fresh in most markets and grocers (and sometimes dried too)

Post by **MrPlum** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:48 pm

Kaffir Lime is a common Thai fruit. There's a tree at the back of my house. The Thais call it 'Makrut'. According to my Thai Herbal it's a blood purifier, antioxidant, cancer preventive and used to treat high blood pressure. The leaf is most commonly used in Thai herbal compresses and you can also use the juice of the fruit and the rind. If you can't find the Kaffir Lime, substitute common limes.

If it's for cooking, you can take her some fresh leaves. They freeze very well-just place in a ziplock bag & they'll retain their flavour for months. No need to defrost, just use as normal

Post by **migrant** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:07 pm

Mother-in-law uses the Kaffir lime leaves in many many dishes. So many that the wife asked yesterday if we can plant another tree (we have two infant trees already).

I've also noticed lime, and lemon, are used interchangably in my house (the words, not the fruit).

Mom's used other lime leaves before the trees, but said they weren't nearly as good.

Post by **STEVE G** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:16 pm

Thank-you for that information; now I’ve seen MrP’s photo I have some idea about what I’m looking for as my partner uses those things every day.
I shall look for some of the dried leaves as well as some fresh ones as it will obviously be easier to take them back.

Post by **Farang** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:48 pm

Of all spice pages in the net, I think this is the best so far.

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/index.html

Post by **margaretcarnes** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:37 am

You can get packets of dried kaffir lime leaf for a fraction of the cost back home (certainly of the cost in England where a few grammes from Tesco is over 2 pounds.) Also bags of dried red chillis in ChatChai market for 10 or 20 baht, and packs of dried star anise and other stuff in the HH Shopping Mall or G Supermarket.
7 Elevens are worth a look as well. Vacuum packs of pickled mango about 18 baht.
I've never had a problem taking stuff like this back through European customs, but posted myself a few packets of basil and chilli seeds from HH to England last month which haven't arrived.

Post by **Sabai Jai** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:15 pm

There seems to be some sort of issue about impoting fresh Kaffir Lime Leaf (Bai Mongkrut) into UK. A family I know here in London are one of the biggest importers of Thai ingedients for the restaurant trade and they occasionally have then nabbed. They sometimes call them something else to get them in and then sell them under the counter.

I don't know what the issue is but someone suggested it was about a mould that can grow on the leaves rather than the (healthy0 leaves themselves.

Consequently I will be looking for some to bring back this year- only two days to go and back to Hua Hin!

Regards SJ

Post by **hhfarang** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:38 pm

If the U.K. is like the U.S., you cannot bring in any fresh food, plant, or animal products (only packaged) due to the possibility of introducing some disease or insect that is not native to the country.

In fact, one of the standard questions they ask returning U.S. citizens is have you been on a farm outside the U.S.... not sure what they do if you say yes as my answer has always been no but they also ask if you have any animal or plant products.

Post by **lomuamart** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:11 pm

Must admit that when I went back to the UK two years ago, I had pineapples, mangoes and dragon fruit for the family.
We were searched at Heathrow, but not too badly. I've wondered what would have happened if the fruit was found. Probably just impounded?

Post by **STEVE G** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:24 pm

Yes, I’m not really sure on the exact regulations for bringing that sort of stuff in, but if it’s in non-commercial amounts I can’t see them doing anything apart from taking it off you.
I think I’ll mainly stick to dried, pre-packaged products to save any bother though.

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:47 pm

lomuamart wrote:Must admit that when I went back to the UK two years ago, I had pineapples, mangoes and dragon fruit for the family.
We were searched at Heathrow, but not too badly. I've wondered what would have happened if the fruit was found. Probably just impounded?

Lomu, if they didn't find the fruit, how were you searched, or where was it??

Post by **STEVE G** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 2:39 am

I can imagine that you might struggle to act nonchalant with a pineapple hidden about your anatomy!