Utensils: Thai

Find out which special utensils you’ll need on hand during cooking.

Mortar and pestle

Usually made of stone but deeper than the more common mortar; the pestle is often made of wood. It is used to grind chillies, garlic and herbs and pound shredded green fruits for salad such as green mango and green papaya.

Coconut grater

A lifesaver in Thai cooking, traditional coconut graters are large and handcranked. Not only do they help remove the flesh from the shell but also provide good fresh coconut cream and milk.

Wok

A versatile round-bottomed pan that is primarily identified with cooking stir fries, but can also be used to deep fry, braise, stew, smoke or make soup.