Thai Meat Poultry Suppliers and Manufacturers

PRODUCT INFO Finger grass is a branching herb comprised of straight, hollow stems and elongated lanceolate to elliptical leaves that grow in an opposite formation around the cylindrical stems. The leaves are slender, tapering to a point, and average 2 to 6 centimeters in length and .5 to 1 centimeter in width. The grey-green leaves are also smooth to the touch, thin, and pliable with finely serrated edges. The stems are thick in appearance but have a hollow center, creating a smooth, crisp, and watery texture. The pale green stems also have a light, succulent, and spongy consistency, lightly coated in fine hairs. Finger grass emits a refreshing, citrus, and herbal aroma and the stems and leaves have a vegetal, citrusy, and earthy, spice-filled flavor. Some consumers recognize the leaves as having a bright and acidic quality, filled with undertones of sweet cumin and curry flavor mixed with notes of lemon and dill. In addition to the leaves and stems, Finger grass seasonally produces tubular flowers that showcase pale pink, purple, to light blue hues. USES Finger grass has a bright, complex flavoring mainly used as a fresh finishing element on savory main dishes. The leaves should be washed and gently torn, chopped, or crushed to release their flavor, and they can be sprinkled into salads, minced into dips and marinades, or used as an edible garnish for roasted meats, light sauces, or grain dishes. In Southeast Asia, finger grass is frequently used in Vietnamese cuisine and Cambodian and Thai cuisine on a smaller scale. The leaves are traditionally served fresh in the center of the dinner table, along with other herbs and raw vegetables. These accompaniments are added to curries, stews, and soups such as pho, and each guest can determine how much of each herb is incorporated into their dish for custom flavor combinations. Finger grass can also be sauteed or steamed as a simple side dish or the stems can be roughly chopped and added to stir-fries. While more untraditional, some mixologists in Southeast Asia have begun muddling finger grass into a refreshing cocktail to modernize the herb. In Cambodia, finger grass is placed on the roof of houses and dehydrated for extended use as a dried herb. Finger grass pairs well with meats including poultry, beef, pork, and fish, other herbs such as lemongrass, basil, and mint, steamed rice, lemon, lime, bell peppers, peas, broccoli, water spinach, carrots, and peanuts. Whole, unwashed Finger grass is highly perishable and will only keep for a few days in the refrigerator when loosely wrapped in plastic or a damp paper towel. The herb should be used immediately for the best quality and flavor. Season Finger grass are available year-round in Southeast Asia.

PRODUCT INFO Broccoli consists of flowering heads that are harvested when the buds are unopened, small, and still green. The heads average 10 to 20 centimeters in diameter and grow on thick, fibrous stalks, emerging from a covering of large, leathery, dark green leaves. Broccoli heads are generally green, sometimes flushed with dark purple depending on the variety, and contain tiny, unopened buds attached to branching stems. The branching, segmented stems with the flower buds are known as florets, which connect into a larger, central, thick, and fibrous, pale green stem. The unopened buds have a crisp and tender consistency when raw, and if left to mature, the buds would produce bright yellow, four-petaled flowers. The thick, raw stems also have a crisp, crunchy, slightly chewy texture, and the leaves are edible but often contain a bitter, fibrous nature. When cooked, Broccoli develops a soft, semi-crunchy consistency and has vegetal, herbaceous, and earthy flavors with grassy, bittersweet nuances. Broccoli is a versatile ingredient well-suited for both raw and cooked applications, including steaming, boiling, roasting, baking, frying, and sauteing. The heads, stems, and leaves are all edible and will contain varying textures and flavors. The heads and stems are the most common portion of the plant consumed and can be chopped and tossed fresh into salads, mixed with other ingredients into slaws, or served on appetizer plates with creamy sauces and dips. Broccoli can also be battered and fried into tempura, lightly cooked and mixed into grain bowls, tossed into pasta, stir-fried with other vegetables, steamed and served as a tender side dish, or blanched and combined into rice and noodle dishes. In addition to using the heads in larger pieces, cooked Broccoli florets can be pureed into soups, stirred into risotto, or baked into quiches. The thick stems can also be used in any preparation calling for Broccoli. Some chefs choose to peel the stems to develop a more tender consistency when cooked. USES Broccoli leaves are also edible but may contain a bitter flavor. The leaves can be prepared similarly to kale or Swiss chard. Broccoli pairs well with zucchini, cauliflower, bell pepper, mushrooms, roasted meats, including poultry, turkey, beef, and fish, other seafood, sauces such as oyster, soy, creamy dressing, and vinaigrettes, and cheeses such as parmesan, cheddar, feta, and goat. Unwashed, raw Broccoli will keep 4 to 7 days when stored in the refrigerator, and once cooked, it will keep up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for 6 to 8 months. Season Broccoli is available year-round, with a peak season in the late fall through early spring.

Galangal rhizomes widely vary in size and shape and have a cylindrical, branched appearance with many shoots and bulbous knobs. The semi-smooth skin is light brown to tan, firm, hard, and is covered in darker brown rings. Underneath the woody skin, the flesh is pale yellow to ivory and is fibrous, dense, and aqueous with a spicy, floral aroma. Galangal is crisp and has a pungent, earthy, woodsy, and mustard-like flavor with subtle citrus undertones. PRODUCT INFO Galangal, botanically classified as Alpinia officinarum, is the underground rhizome of a tropical shrub that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. Also known as Siamese ginger and Thai ginger, there are two main species of Galangal known as Greater Galangal and Lesser Galangal, varying in size, shape, and taste, but both species are used to flavor culinary dishes. Galangal has been utilized for its medicinal properties in Asia for thousands of years and is predominately used today to flavor Southeast Asian cuisine. Galangal adds a warm, sweet, and pungent flavor to dishes, similar to ginger but stronger in flavor, and can be found in fresh, dried, and powdered form. USES Galangal is primarily used in Southeast Asian cooking, lightly crushed or pounded as an aromatic to add an earthy and pungent flavor. The rhizome can be thinly sliced and added to stir-fries, boiled into curries, cooked into satay, mixed in applesauce, lightly tossed into salads, or used to flavor soups such as tom kha gai, a Thai coconut soup, or samlor kor ko, which is a Cambodian vegetable soup. It can also be used in stews, rice, and noodle dishes. Galangal is often mixed into seafood dishes as it has a flavor that can mask fishiness and is also commonly boiled into a tea. The rhizome can be found fresh or in dried and powdered form, and when ground, the flavor becomes milder but earthier. Galangal root pairs well with meats such as poultry and fish, shellfish, garlic, onions, tamarind, chiles, lemongrass, bell peppers, and green onions. The fresh rhizome will keep 1-2 weeks when stored in the refrigerator, and ground Galangal will keep up to one year when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. SEASONS Galangal is available year-round.

PRODUCT INFO Pea eggplant are small and round, about the size of a pea and one centimeter in diameter. These tiny fruits are arranged in clusters of ten to fifteen bunched together in a fashion similar to grapes and as the fruits ripen their thin skin will turn from light green to yellow. The fruits grow on shrubs that can reach up to sixteen feet in height. The stems and leaves of the pea eggplant are covered in fine hairs, and small hooked thorns and the flowers of the plant are most often white. Each fruit can contain up to two hundred tiny, flat, brown, and edible seeds. pea eggplant range in flavor from bitter to tart when raw, and their texture is exceptionally crunchy. Once cooked they will take on a soft quality and the bitter flavor is minimized. USES Pea eggplant are used in both raw and cooked preparations. When fresh they are popularly used in nam prik kapee, a chili and shrimp paste blend commonly made in Thailand. They can also be pickled, dried, or served raw with dipping sauces. Pea eggplant can be grilled, braised, added to curries, soups, and stews, or tossed whole or chopped into stir-fries. To cut the bitterness, Pea eggplant can be boiled briefly before use. Pea eggplant pair well with mint, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, curry paste, rice, yams, and meats such as poultry and beef. Pea eggplant will keep up to three days when stored in a cool and dry place. SEASONS Pea eggplants are available year-round with peak season during the summer months.