Thai sauces you have to have in your pantry if you want to cook Thai food

I love Thai food, but without the tutelage of a bona-fide Thai cook, there is no way I would be able to make anything that tastes right. To cook Thai food and get the correct flavors, you need to correct seasonings. A look inside my pantry revealed my lack of all things Thai. This was remedied by a quick jaunt to the Viet Hoa supermarket, one of the many Asian supermarkets in the Houston area. We brought home some staples for successful Thai cooking.

1) Thai Oyster Sauce.
Noi, my sister's nanny cum personal chef, points at the bottle and says
"Oyster sauce, good kind!" as I proceed to take a picture.















2) Second on the list, "Sweet Sauce." This is completely new to me, but it is one of those sauces that adds that perfect blend of sweetness to Thai stir fry and general cooking. A must have.














3) Soya Bean sauce. Another new addition to my pantry.



4) Fish sauce. I'm Vietnamese so this one was easy. I had it in my cupboard. I like The brand from Phu Quoc

5) Soy Sauce. I have this one too, a Lee Kum Kee premium soy sauce.

6) Coconut milk. She likes the Thai coconut milk with the blue background.
















Other common ingredients: fresh lime, lemon grass,
Tom Yum Paste (for soup), white granulated sugar.


So now my pantry is stocked. Time to make an authentic Thai dish!