Thailand's Healing Herbs

Discover the Secrets of Green Curry

More Than Just a Curry

Early morning at Phuket Town's Chillva Market. Steam rises from a fresh pot of green curry and coconut milk, simmering gently with chicken, basil and local galangal.

An elderly vendor smiles warmly as she hands you a bowl, murmuring, "Gin law sabai dee"– Eat and feel good. It's a familiar gesture in Phuket, where food has never been just about taste. It's always carried care, comfort – and something quietly healing.

Green curry, world-famous and loved by locals, was never only about flavour. Long before it appeared in cookbooks, it lived in the traditions of Thai cooks who used herbs deliberately, understanding precisely how they affect the body and mind. Each spoonful was – and still is – a quiet prescription.

Phuket's Markets: Everyday Pharmacies

In Phuket, markets like Chillva in Phuket Town, Banzaan in Patong, or local markets in Rawai and Kathu aren't tourist curiosities – they're essential to local life. For many Thais, even those traveling from other provinces, visiting these markets is a highlight, a way to reconnect with regional traditions, foods and herbs. They see what grows locally, what's fresh and what ingredients Phuket cooks prefer.

Walk through any Phuket market, and you're walking through a living pharmacy. Herbs aren't just sold– they're proudly explained, tasted, smelled and touched. Baskets overflow with fragrant kaffir lime leaves, fresh turmeric roots still damp from the ground, bundles of spicy holy basil and pungent galangal bulbs. Vendors confidently share each herb's properties:

1. "Kaffir lime leaves clear your breathing and help headaches," says a seller, holding a handful.
2. "Galangal good for the stomach," another nods knowingly.
3. "Holy basil calms your heart, very good if you are stressed."

In Phuket's markets, herbal knowledge isn't secret. It's practical, everyday wisdom passed naturally between generations and from region to region.

Four Iconic Phuket Dishes, Four Healing Traditions

Phuket's culinary identity is built on dishes whose ingredients have deliberate healing roles:

• Green Curry (Gaeng Kiew Wan): Phuket's comforting favourite. Creamy coconut soothes inflammation, fresh green chilies stimulate circulation, holy basil gently reduces stress, and local galangal eases digestion.
• Tom Yum Goong: Fiery shrimp soup with chili, lemongrass and lime leaves. Aromatic, sharp and powerfully medicinal, Phuket locals trust it as a remedy for colds, congestion or fatigue.
• Tom Kha Gai: Creamy coconut broth infused with galangal and kaffir lime. Mild and calming, this dish is especially popular among families when someone feels tired or unsettled.
• Khao Tom (Rice Soup): It is basic yet deeply comforting. Ginger warms and settles the stomach, garlic fortifies immunity and rice replenishes energy. Phuket grandmothers famously recommend this after illness or exhaustion.

Herbs at the Heart of Phuket Cooking

Local herbs define Thai cooking and healing. In Phuket, these aren't exotic – they're staples:

1. Galangal (Khaa) – supports digestion and reduces inflammation.
2. Lemongrass (Takrai) – fights colds, has antibacterial properties.
3. Kaffir Lime Leaf (Bai Makrut) – clears respiratory passages and uplifts mood.
4. Holy Basil (Bai Krapao) – relieves stress and strengthens immunity.
5. Chili (Prik) – enhances circulation and metabolism.
6. Ginger (Khing) – settles the stomach and combats nausea.
7. Garlic (Krathiam) – immune and heart-healthy benefits.
8. Turmeric (Khamin) – anti-inflammatory, joint support.

Each herb is chosen deliberately, quietly serving its purpose in every dish.

Markets as a Cultural Journey

For many Thais, exploring local markets is essential when visiting other regions. Thai tourists to Phuket invariably spend mornings discovering regional dishes, tasting unfamiliar fruits and learning which herbs local cooks prefer. Markets aren't just places of commerce – they're gathering spots, teaching venues and living celebrations of local knowledge and tradition.

Whether you're Thai or foreign, browsing through a Phuket market offers insight deeper than sightseeing. It provides a glimpse of a cultural relationship to food and herbs that's existed quietly for generations.

A Legacy You Can Taste

In Phuket, food and medicine were always inseparable. Today's wellness trends – adaptogenic herbs and anti-inflammatory diets – aren’t new here. They've quietly existed in Phuket kitchens, markets and family traditions forever.

Every bite of green curry carries centuries of this gentle wisdom. Each herb serves its quiet purpose, doing far more than flavour alone ever could.

Next Time, Taste the Tradition

Next time you sit down to green curry or wander through a Phuket market, pause for a moment. You're not just enjoying food. You're taking part in something quiet, powerful and intensely local – a tradition still thriving in every herb, every market stall and every spoonful.

Because in Phuket, good food isn't just delicious. It quietly keeps you well.

by Mads D, Photographer & Explorer

Learn more about Mads D KamalaBeachEstate.com/mads-d