Tuna fish which is sold canned, either in oil or water. Both can be used, although they have different uses. A very easy dish to make at home is Yum Canned Tuna, which you can use either version, but in ‘olive oil’ is tastiest.

Storage: Canned tuna lasts for a long time in the cabinet.

Thais eat a lot of chicken. They prefer ‘gai baan’ (literally ‘house chicken’), which is essentially the same thing as free-range chicken. The meat is more muscular and has more flavor. Also, most chicken meat in Thailand is very fresh, usually less than day old.

Storage: The fresher the better. Always store meat in the refrigerator unless eating right away.

Regular old Chicken Eggs. Thais use them for all sorts of things, omlettes, fried eggs, yum, soup, stews, you name it. They’re eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Storage: Thais do not refrigerate eggs. They believe that the taste is better when it’s room-temp. If you don’t refrigerate them, make sure to eat them within a week or so. Otherwise, they keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.

Fresh clams are eaten fried into omlettes, in salads and in soups.

Storage: Clams should be bought alive, and eaten the same day. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Soaking clams in salty water gets them to open the shell and spit out the sand inside.

Small red shrimp are available pre-dried in bags in most Asian groceries. There are usually many different brands and sizes.

Storage: Store in an air-tight container in the cupboard.

Buying pre-ground pork at the butcher/grocery store/market is a heck of a lot easier than making it yourself. Thais tend to grind up the fat inside too, so unless you have issues with eating fat, you should stay away from ‘lean’ ground pork.

Storage: As with all fresh meat, keep refrigerated and use as soon as possible.

Fresh mussels are eaten in soups and salads.

Storage: Mussels should be bought alive, and eaten the same day. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Scrape the ‘hair’ and barnacles off the mussels with a knife before cooking.

Quail eggs are eaten in a few Thai dishes. They are most commonly eaten hard-boiled, wrapped in a wonton wrapper, deep fried, and served with a variation of chicken dipping sauce. Recipe here: Fried Quail Egg Wontons.

Storage: Store quail eggs in the refrigerator and use before the expiration date. If you cannot find fresh quail eggs, you may be able to find them canned.

Softer tofu which comes in a tube. Available with or without egg added already. (The picture on the left is with egg, hence the yellow color). If you cannot get Thai tube-tofu, substitute with Chinese ‘firm’ tofu (not ‘extra firm’). This will be close enough. Do not use soft Japanese tofu. It’s too soft to pan fry and will crumble into a big mess. Some people dip the sliced pieces in flour before cooking, to give a bit of extra flavor.

Storage: Store tube tofu in the refrigerator. Make sure to eat before the expiration date.

Note: The easiest way to get the tofu out of the tube is to cut the tube with a knife, right down the middle. Then squeeze the tofu out of the tube from the ends.

Chinese style hard white tofu. In Thailand you buy white cakes of tofu at the market. There are two types here, salty and non-salty. Neither are sold in-water, and are much drier than the ones in the West. The closest thing in the West are the ‘extra firm’ variety you can get at the grocery store. Make sure to drain it really well and pat it dry before cooking.

Storage: Fresh tofu expires very quickly. Make sure to keep in the refrigerator, and use within a couple days of buying, If you buy a packaged variety at the supermarket, make sure to use before the expiry date. If you don’t use it all, store the rest in water, and use within a day or two.

Chinese style hard yellow tofu. In Thailand they have Chinese red stamps on them, like this one with an airplane. The closest thing in the West are the ‘extra firm’ variety you can get at the grocery store. Make sure to drain it really well and pat it dry before cooking.

Storage: Fresh tofu expires very quickly. Make sure to keep in the refrigerator, and use within a couple days of buying, If you buy a packaged variety at the supermarket, make sure to use before the expiry date. If you don’t use it all, store the rest in water, and use within a day or two.