Der Unterschied zwischen Currys: Rotes, gelbes und grünes Curry erklärt - Yak Thai

The Difference Between Curries: Red, Yellow, and Green Curry Explained

Thai curries are a staple of Thai cuisine and enjoy great popularity worldwide. They are characterized by their intense aromas and the use of fresh ingredients. In this post, we at Yak Thai take a closer look at the three best-known varieties: red, green, and yellow Thai curry.

We shed light on the differences and similarities regarding ingredients, regional origins, and preparation. This overview will help you better understand the diversity and uniqueness of each curry and find the right one for your taste.

Thai Curry Difference Yellow Red and Green

Red Thai Curry

Regions:

Red curry is popular throughout Thailand, especially in Central and Southern Thailand.

Preparation:

The red curry paste is cooked with coconut milk, meat (often chicken or beef), vegetables, and sometimes seafood. It is known for its intense spiciness and deep red color.

Special feature:

Red curry paste is made with roasted red chilies, which make the paste appear a bit "firmer."

Green Thai Curry

Regions:

Green curry is particularly common in Central and Southern Thailand.

Preparation:

The green curry paste is also prepared with coconut milk, meat (often chicken or fish), vegetables, and fresh herbs. It is the spiciest of the three curries and has a bright green color. Green curry has the highest liquid content of all curries, tending towards a soup-like consistency.

Special feature:

The green curry paste is made with fresh green chilies, which make the finished paste look a bit more liquid, similar to pesto.

Yellow Thai Curry

Regions:

Yellow curry is especially popular in Southern Thailand and in Muslim communities.

Preparation:

The yellow curry paste is cooked with coconut milk, meat (often chicken), potatoes, and sometimes vegetables. It is the mildest of the three curries and has a yellow color, which is primarily due to turmeric.

Special feature:

Opinions are divided on yellow curry. What is yellow curry? There are various versions of a yellow curry paste, which is why it is difficult to define "the yellow curry." Panaeng, Khao Soi, Jungle Curry, Gaeng Liang or even Khua Kling. All these pastes are yellow or lean towards a yellow-orange hue.

Similarities between the curry pastes:

Beyond the differences, red, yellow, and green curry paste also share commonalities, which we will now point out.

Basic ingredients: All three curries contain similar base ingredients such as garlic, shallots (or red onions), lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp paste.
Coconut milk: Preparation is usually done with coconut milk, which gives the curries their creamy consistency. The only exception here is Khua Kling curry, which is prepared without coconut milk.
Diversity: They can be prepared with different types of meat, seafood, fish, or tofu.
Aromas: All three curries offer a complex mixture of hot, sweet, and savory flavors that are typical of Thai cuisine.