แกงเขียวหวาน
kaeng khiao wan
Green curry in Thai is แกงเขียวหวาน (kaeng khiao wan).
This phrase refers to a spicy Thai curry prepared with green chili peppers and coconut milk.
What does it mean word for word?
The name literally translates to 'green sweet curry': แกง (kaeng) means curry, khiao (khiao) means green and wan (wan) means sweet.
Which one should you use?
While the name contains the word wan (sweet), this refers to the creamy, slightly sweet flavor profile provided by the coconut milk rather than indicating the dish is a dessert.
How do you pronounce it?
kaeng khiao wan
Did you know?
- แกงเขียวหวาน is traditionally paired with ขนมจีน, which are fermented rice noodles, rather than just steamed jasmine rice.
- The word แกง (kaeng) is a broad category in Thai that includes any liquid-based dish or soup, even those that contain no curry paste at all.
- To balance the sweetness of the coconut milk, Thai cooks often add มะเขือเปราะ (Thai eggplant) to introduce a slight bitterness.
Examples in context
- ฉันชอบแกงเขียวหวานมาก.chan chop gaeng khiao wan mak.I like green curry very much.
- แกงเขียวหวานจานนี้เผ็ดไหม?gaeng khiao wan jaan nii phet mai?Is this green curry spicy?
Example conversation
Pimol and Witwat are deciding what to eat for lunch at a restaurant.
- พิมล Pimonวันนี้กินแกงเขียวหวานกันไหม?wan nii kin gaeng khiao wan kan mai?Shall we eat green curry today?
- วิทวัส Witthawatดีครับ ผมอยากกินแกงเขียวหวานพอดี.dee krap phom yak kin gaeng khiao wan phor dee.That sounds good, I happen to want green curry.
- พิมล Pimonงั้นสั่งแกงเขียวหวานเนื้อกันเถอะ.ngan sang gaeng khiao wan nuea kan thoe.Then let's order beef green curry.
- วิทวัส Witthawatได้เลยครับ ผมสั่งเอง.dai loei krap phom sang eng.Sure, I will order it.
