If I had to summarize the taste in one word, I would say “earthy.” This is as delicious to some people as it is wretched to others.

We are off to Columbus tomorrow, so I will pick up a larger bag of turmeric roots, as Kasma assures her readers that one can keep them for close to a month in the fridge if one is careful. I also want to experiment with freezing it to see if it preserves the elusive fragrance and flavor.

KT–there really is nothing to fear with Thai food. I really should return to my habit of cooking a good amount of Thai, but I have been concentrating so hard on Chinese, that I forget to make Thai. But, as there is no really good Thai restaurants around, I should return to my habit of having it once or twice a week, and then writing about it.

Like Chinese, Thai is all about flavor and texture balance, both within a dish and within a meal. Once you start understanding that key principle, and become fluid with the basic flavors of Thai food and the ingredients that create them, Thai becomes a lot less intimidating.

If you can find copies of Kasma’s cookbooks at a reasonable price on Ebay, I urge you to pick them up. She will go a long way in explaining the philosophy of the Thai kitchen to you, which, for me, was essential to unlocking the flavors and textures of the food.