Yeah it seems like they just throw ingredients into a big vat and then immediately bottle them without simmering, blooming spices, or reducing anything. Terrible brand
For a long time where I lived it was all you could find. Once I found a good Asian market, though, I was happy to find Mae Ploy and Maesri, as not only were they better, but the price for what you get is more economical.
My older brother was a head chef for years, whereas I am a completely novice home cook. He made a Thai Green Curry for dinner one day when I was visiting and I was blown away. He used the mae ploy paste and wrote me a recipe I could confidently do myself when at home. he passed away a few years back but I still have his handwritten recipe framed in my kitchen and make it every few months. My supermarket stopped carrying Mae Ploy a few years back so I have to travel a bit further to get it, but i'll never use anything else.
The three chili warning on Thai Kitchen is like how Superstore labels their “hot peppers” as very spicy, but then I take a bite and it’s like I have a long and skinny red bell pepper.🙄
Anyone else have a problem with jalopenos being "nadapenos"? Lately, maybe the last year or so, grocery stores, mostly Safeway, but others as well, have NO heat! I asked them how they order, and they order jalopenos, but end up getting no-heat nadapenos. AARGH!
@@lindas.8036 Yeah, it happens sometimes. It’s a little crappy, but sometime peppers can be like that. Like the Korean green chilis; sometimes they’re spicy, and sometimes you bite into one expecting pain, but all you get is a sweet chili flavour. Lol
So freakin' accurate. I watched the red curry paste video and I can't handle a ton of spice, so I still thought "ok well, I'll try Thai Kitchen's red curry paste".... NO spice at all, barely ANY flavor. My god it's such a disappointment. That chili warning is such a lie. Taco Bell's mild sauce is spicier. Feels like such major false advertising lol
My wife likes Mae Ploy and I like Aroy-D. We buy both brands and we use them alternatively in our cooking. For Red Curry and Green Curry we use both Aroy-D and Mae Ploy respectively.
Perfect timing. I've been on a liquid diet for nearly a month due to surgery and craving Thai curry. I have a can of green Maesri in the pantry and since I can't yet have real solids I planned to make a green curry gravy and rice. Glad to find this brand did better in the green than the red. I really appreciate your videos on these products, Pailin. They are so useful. I have a Zogarushi rice cooker now and LOVE it.
Makes sense that Mae Ploy won. Here in Seattle every Thai restaurant uses that brand. I use it when I’m really craving green curry, but I use much more than recommended. Unfortunately, it’s still not even close to the fresh paste in Thailand. Then again, nothing ever is.
@@ChiliCrisp88 About 1 1/2x the recommended amount. I think when Thai restaurants ask for preferred spiciness, the recommended amount is "medium" and I'd imagine they adjust up and down from there. 50% more makes it "hot," yet not inedible
p.s., with more paste, there is also more flavor from the aromatics - not just heat. I am a nerd and keep galangal, lemongrass stalks and chilis in the freezer. If you are making this for friends or family who have different tolerances for heat/spiciness, I'd advise to add more aromatics if you have them, plus a bit more sweet (1t cane or brown sugar), a bit more umami (about 1 t fish sauce or 1 t soy) and then offer thinly sliced chilies as an optional garnish for the heat-seekers :)
Thanks for including the Lobo mention at the end... it's a nice option here in Europe because it's one of very few brands who has smaller portions of paste (for when you just want to taste test them or simply don't need a whole tub).
Im based in BKK and if you can get hold of the Lobo brand Thai Green Curry Paste, thats great too but luckily local markets have their own hand made pastes you can buy by the 100g. Fun fact, due to the eae and quality of pastes hardly anyone make their own anymore.
I feel happy with the winner. Makes me feel better 😂 MP really is the best. Also they now offer vegan pastes without the shrimp. They sell them at my Asian market.
So you just confirmed what I already knew. It was fascinating to see everybody’s reactions. This makes me want to make some green curry for dinner tonight!
I just bought 5kg of chicken thighs together with all other necessary ingredients and I have randomly chosen the red and the green Mea Ploy pastes for my first home-made Thai dishes. I'm happy I've got the best ones. Thanks for your videos, they are very informative!
I am lucky, because I have an international grocer close by (Global Foods in greater STL). I can get galangal, lemongrass, cane sugar pucks, Thai basil, a zillion kinds of Asian eggplant, fish sauce, etc. I have used your recipe for homemade green curry paste and it's an all-afternoon adventure. It is fun and meditative, yet the prepared curry pastes are such excellent shortcuts. I just checked and have about 2T left of Mae Ploy in my fridge... it's my favorite, too. I always keep some galangal and lemongrass in the freezer (as well as red and green Thai chilis), so I can adjust to taste. It's amazing to be able to create restaurant-quality curry in your own kitchen. Excellent channel! Great and fun episode.
I’m not surprised the green curry video is your most popular. It was how I discovered your channel and website and I literally watch it every time I’m about to make a quick green curry 😂
The part you said about people doing their own recipes instead of the ones on the jar is so true. I actually went to see what people do with curry paste after just following my own recipe and using paste instead of just powdered spices or pre-made cooking sauce (and making a salty, oily mess that only I could eat -.-'). Had me wondering if the paste I got (Aroy D) was bad or something. I'll just follow a proper recipe next time.
Mae Ploy paste is always a winner in Poland and UK. I love red curry, and cooked it on my few visits back home in Poland. On the other hand I’m glad that one of the stores in Poland, is selling Aroy-D coconut milk, which I’m finding the best to cook curries. I love your channel, and thank you so much for sharing your hints and opinions😀 In two weeks I’m hoping to have some red curry in Scotland. Cooked and adapted by my friend. She’ll be using Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste of course. I’m just bringing my companion and a palm sugar. Imported from Thailand 😀 All the best Pailin and waiting for more hint 😀
I bought Mae Ploy from a local supermarket and it’s cheaper than Asian stores! It’s amazing and I love the flavour - it is a bit salty imo so make sure don’t add too much fish sauce.
I have used Thai Kitchen as it is the most readily available, but I switched to Aroy-D even before I saw your taste test for the red curry pastes. I have been on the look out for Mae Ploy as I really want to see the difference! I may do my own little taste test as I have some Thai Kitchen green curry paste still 😄 Thank you so much for your videos!
Great video! I’ve been using Maesri lately because I love that I can use the entire can without having any leftover to take up precious fridge space…but maybe I need to go back to Mae Ploy!
Your cameraman is exceptionally tall 😂. I love either mae ploy or aroy-d. I think they're both delicious. How do you store yours? I used to just store it in the container it came in in the deep freezer and take it a bit before needing it.
I was lucky enough to begin my Thai food cooking journey with Mae Ploy over a decade ago. It's actually harder to find where I live now (still Northeast US), so I've had to rely on Aroy-D. They both seem to have better ingredients than the other options I've seen on the market. But I'm also a bigger fan of Mae Ploy because it seems to have more going on rather than just being spicy. I'm also a shrimp paste fan. Happy it won this time!
Wow. That is quite a thorough taste test. Most folks would just make sauce. But this way is much more meaningful. Best taste testing I’ve ever seen on TH-cam. Watching for 10+ years. 💁🏻♀️
Based on your last video, I amazon shopped a few types of Maeploy (red/yellow/panang/massaman) and will start making this at home. Can't wait to start this adventure.
From my point of view, all the work you put into these comparisons is worth it. I hope your numbers reflect that, but I really enjoy these. Seriously, knowing which product to buy when you have nothing to go on is so helpful. I'm pretty sure your fish sauce video influenced me because I somehow have both a regular fish sauce and a finishing fish sauce in my fridge now, lol. I love how you try to make as fair a test as you can.
I’m glad that Mae Ploy is the kind we have in my normal supermarket here in Sweden. I think my local store has all 4 curry pastes, green, panang, red, and massaman.
Lobo is the most popular brand of Thai paste and seasoning you can find in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) actually, I've been using this for years and it performed well. Another takeaway for me it the package instructions - which was true with what you said in this video - I used your recipe and adjust without really reading into the instructions. Then I did follow through with what the package told me, it was not as good, and it also told me to add things I thought should not have been there. I've bought some paste, made (kinda) fresh from a place called Nittaya Curry in Bangkok - can't wait to try it out and compare with store-bought paste.
I love Mae Ploy, having discovered it via Pailin's Red Curry comparison, and cannot recommend this brand highly enough for producing a really decent Thai curry very quickly at home. I have the Red, Green, Panang and Massaman pastes in my fridge (I'm less keen on yellow curry), and it means a restaurant quality Thai curry for me at least once a week. Absolute pantry/fridge treasure!
So glad to see Adam again with his opinions. It makes me feel validated that both East Asian and Western teams agree on the delicious flavours. Honestly, this was a helpful video. Question: If I've made a massive batch of Thai chilli paste, when does the flavour go off/gone?
Absolutely love your channel, the brand I use for paste is Lobo but i have to buy in Thailand for me its the same flavour of the small local restaurants around Thailand. Picked up many good tips from your videos and learned a lot. Thank you for such a fantastic channel.
When I first started cooking Thai food at home, all I could find was Thai Kitchen, and it was so disappointing. I did try using the whole jar, and it still didn't taste right. I now use Mae Ploy for all of my curries at the suggestion of a friend. I am so happy to see that you recommend it!
If I don't have a homemade batch I've processed before (I can it instead of freeze it after), I go with arroy D and roast some shrimp paste. Just came back from another month in Thailand, it's close enough. Heat of the paste doesn't matter, I throw in 10 birds eye's anyway to a pot.
I like Maesri because it's less salty and more balanced, so I can use more of it in a dish! I'll use a whole tin for 2-3 servings of curry. Also it's one of the better choices if I'm cooking for people who are spice-sensitive.
Im so glad you made a green curry version after the red curry version! I loved the red curry brand you recommended so im sure i will also try the green curry 💚 Thank you!
My favorite is still lobo brand curry paste for both green and red. Lobo is well balanced with salt and spices plus has shrimp undertones. Plus it comes in packets so I don't have to worry about wasting a large tub or forgetting about it in the back of my freezer.
I love these videos! I definitely don’t have the time or patience to make my own thai curry paste so having these brands ranked has been so helpful. I definitely make more thai curries at home after discovering Pai! I watch every cooking video that HTK releases
Great video! I just used Maesri last night and it was delicious. Nice flavor and spicy. Now, I will try Mae Ploy and see if I notice a difference. Thanks for doing this comparison video.
Made green curry using nam jai and your amazing recipe, it was good but like you said it was weak! Even putting 1-2 spoons! I even added lemongrass and other strong spices. Thank you for the thorough video.
I'm in Thailand and use Namjai routinely (My local 7/11 stocks it). When in the UK I use Mae Ploy but it's disappeared from my two local supermarkets (Asda and Morrison's) where the ubiquitous (UK brand) 'Blue Dragon' seems to have displaced it.
I’m a Thai living in Thailand. It’s very common for a home cook to buy these pre made paste. And here in Thailand e have so many brands to choose. I personally have my favorite which is “Nittaya”. It’s quite difficult to find as it’s not sale in any supermarket unless you buy on line or go directly to their shop. Some people mix 2 brand together. However at this moment I’m p obsessed with making my own paste I have found a channel that teach a super easy way to make my own paste. Since then I wouldn’t want to buy any store bought ever again. It’s much more fragrant and I can totally control the level of spiciness that I like by tailor pick the type of chili that I use.
Pailin, me and my family can only handle mild heat at best. Are there any brands of curry paste that you would recommend that are very mild, yet are still flavourful? Or should I try making curry paste from scratch, and just cutting back on the chiles? I've tried Mae Ploy and Aroy-D, but they are both too spicy for our tastes. (green and red) I've used thai kitchen before, but found that I'd have to use 2 whole bottles to get enough flavour out of it. Should I try Maesri?
Hi Adam here - and I think you're going to have to ask her that one directly as she doesn't see the comments on here once the post is more than a few days old. You can check out options to get hold of her here hot-thai-kitchen.com/contact . Cheers!
Mae Ploy has been my go to for decades, and our pantry is filled with five or six of them. MaeSri is good also, with a whole different texture and flavor. What I really like was how you took a bit of the coconut milk and cooked it down before adding the paste; that'll be my next try.
I have tried making green curry at home with Thai Kitchen. I ended up using 2x the recommended amount, then 3x, and it still just tasted like plain coconut milk. I went out for Thai food last night and it occurred to me that the brand might be the problem. Glad to hear that there are better alternatives. My wife and I love Thai curry, so if we can make it at home, that's even better!
I have a feeling the results are going to be much the same as the last. On that note, I'm not going to stop buying the little tins from Maesri, because I live alone, and buying a huge tub doesn't work for me. If Maesri is a little less concentrated than Mae Ploy or Aroy-D, I can just use twice as much. I typically use half a small tin of Maesri for two servings of curry, one for dinner, one for lunch the next day. Mae Ploy and Aroy-D are not available in my town, and even in nearby towns, only come in the large tubs. I don't eat Thai food often enough to justify buying the large tubs, only because I cook so many different cuisines that there's only so many meals I can cook in a month. I'm Filipina American, so I am no stranger, novice, or lightweight when it comes to SE Asian food.
Pailin! I stumbled upon this channel about six years ago with your green curry video, and your recommendation for Mae Ploy set me on the right direction. Personally I prefer it over Maesri, though often end up purchasing Maesri because it comes in a smaller quantity and can be cheaper for my budget. As a westerner who doesn’t do a ton of Thai cooking (though I LOVE it), it helps to get the shrimp paste from Mae Ploy in the package.
Thank you for doing this Pailin! I wonder if now there will be a shortage of Mae Ploy in international markets! Everybody watching is going to order Mae Ploy and cause a hitch in the supply and they won’t know why all of a sudden the international markets are having shortages! It’s Pailin, she is so influential! We have tasted and cooked or Vice versa, her recipes and are out to buy what she recommends! 😂
I get the tub of Mae Ploy, and keep it in my freezer, since I don't use it every week, but use it before it starts tasting like the fridge. The packaging is super good for freezer storage.
Red Curry might be my favorite dish ever. I tried so hard to recreate it and our local grocery stores only carried Thai Kitchen. I tried using that garbage and it came nowhere close to what I tried at restaurants until I used like a whole jar and ever then.. meh. Then a couple years ago, an amazing Asian supermarket opened near my office. It took over a big box store sized store and even had a great Vietnamese restaurant inside where they used to serve food. I live in the Midwest so this was huge for us. I found a dozen different curry paste that took up half an aisle, and I too can say that Mae Ploy is my go to as well. I always have a large open jar in the fridge and another in the panty on stand by.
THANK YOU so much for doing this!!! (I followed up and watched the red curry taste test) I use Maesri and never strayed because it’s what my mom always used and so it never occurred to me to try other brands😂 Now I realize why I always end up using the whole can (and sometimes needing 1 1/2 cans). I live in Atlanta. There are a lot international markets here so I have many brands available to me. I am running out to get Mae Ploy, Namjai, Aroy-D and Lobo🤣 I’m eager to try Mae Ploy first! What’s funny is I use Lobo Thai seasoning mix as marinade base for chicken and pork pretty frequently.
This is pretty useful thanks! I always make my own green and red chili paste now. But it's good to be ready and in the know of what to buy if there's a supply issue. So I can know what to buy in a pinch...
I use Mae Ploy that I buy from Amazon since the stores around me in middle Georgia (USA) only sell Thai Kitchen. Coincidentally I’m eating massaman curry watching this made with Mae Ploy. Meanwhile, I just watched one of your older videos that said I’m supposed to store unused paste in the freezer so I just tossed the old green curry paste from Mae Ploy I had sitting in the back of my fridge. 😅 Thanks for the tips!
Very cool vid! I've been on a Thai kick lately, but it gets pretty costly ordering take-out or dining out. I've decided to learn how to make Thai curry at home. I've already learned how to make pad thai, thanks to your awesome pad thai vids (which I highly recommend for everyone to check out!) Thanks for posting, Pailin!
The Thai Kitchen is worse than sad, it's criminal. I tried the red last year, still have the green. Why I won't throw it away, I don't know. I made the red curry paste years ago with my friend, it was alot of work but so worth it. So delicious. 😋
Love that you do these taste test Pailin, it's so important to understand brands and which is best. It would also be appreciated if you could tell us, how long they last, especially after opening. I hope you continue and Thank you to you, your friends and family.👍❤️
I bought a tub of Mae Ploys red curry paste and it states that it lasts for a whole year as long as you refrigerate it after opening. I hope that helps 😊
In the mid 2000s in the UK as a student from Sri Lanka I couldn’t make proper Sri Lankan curry. So I depended on Mploy green curry paste as it gives similar levels of spice and fuller body coconut milk curry, we also love coconut milk curry’s over others. It was expensive the curry can as a student but I loved this brand. I miss those days but can’t find it in SL Mploy. As making green curry from scratch is very time consuming.
Mae Ploy all the way. I'm half Thai and had it all the time growing up. You can't go wrong with it. I tried Thai Kitchen once and never again. Stay away if you can lol.
Thank you so much for showing me Mae Ploy curry paste. My curries are finally delicious and not a pot of disappointment! Goodbye Thai Kitchen! Which brand / types of curry pastes can you recommend when spiciness is a problem? It‘s not that I can‘t handle it but unfortunately I have IBS and spiciness from chillies makes it worse. The day after a delicious Thai curry is usually suffering because of that.
I think that Mae Ploy came second to Arroy-D is because when you make Green curry for you to eat, instead of making a comparison taste test, you adjust the taste while cooking, so you end up with something you prefer. It would have taken a lot of time, but you could have adjusted the sugar and fish sauce depending on what is already in the curry paste, I was about to ask about Lobo, because I think it is quite common in France (but I don't cook thai food when visiting France :)
I really agreed with the ranking she showed in the video. I'm Thai and currently live in Houston, TX. I always loved Mae Ploy however, please no more adding salt because it was quite salty. Based on my experience, I recommended 45 g (3 Tbsp) of dragonfly curry paste to 23 g (1.5 Tbsp) of Mae Ploy added to 500 g of canned coconut milk (Aroy-D).
My wife use Nam Jai She just use all of the package it turn out great As you said it need to put more but i quite think that more natural for the RTU product
Where I'm from Aroy-D is the only brand that sells proper coconut cream/milk. I haven't tried Aroy-D curry paste, but Mae Ploy was already wayy too hot for a base paste. Make it less hot so people could control and fit the spice level to what they want. I don't add any sweeteners though, it's unhealthy, so maybe that's why I get unbalanced heat. I only make my own curry now.
I have been using Maesri, as it is easy to find at local ethnic markets but i will have to try the other brands . glad to know i didnt make a bad choice though
Excellent comparison. I have a Thai Kitchen red curry in my pantry needing a reason to throw it out, now i have one, thanks! Have been using the Aroy-D curry and coconut milk for a number of years, much better. Thanks!
🌸 I’d like to point out because your go to was used so often for years Both you and your husband prefer the other brand It’s like smells we get nose blind to things we are exposed to more frequently This is why I alternate my two favourite types 🎉 Trust me it’s best making it yourself 😊
Mae Ploy for me. I get the big tubs on Amazon, then freeze it. It lasts for months. In a pinch I've tried Thai Kitchen, and it never goes well. My bigger problem is finding good coconut milk, because Amazon isn't really an option.
It's interesting to see that someone else prefers Aroy-D in green and Mae Ploy in red. ^.^ Always nice to see someone who knows how it should taste do these tests.
I became a Mae Ploy lifer after I found out that it's a popular choice for Thai restaurants here in California. This video confirms it's the right choice! 😊
Thai kitchen makes the best chicken wing sauce reds the best / cilantro is a must if you ever eat them it changes the flavor totally.thats all my family used it for add butter and garlic
Hi Pai, love your channel. So informative and well presented. I’m in the UK, we get Lobo brand pastes and seasonings, would be great to have a review of the red/green pastes and also the Tom yum , Tom Kai soups. Also love your cook books. Keep up the excellent work. 😊
Thanks for the taste test. It is super helpful for people like me not familiar with Thai cuisine who want to expand their horizons. BTW I found LoBo on Amazon.
I use Aroy-D cause that's the only actual Thai brand available in stores around my parts, but I do mix it with shrimp paste cause I've tasted it without it and it really isn't the same.
Lol Thai Kitchen never stood a chance… (as expected 😂). It’s also unfortunately the only one that’s available up by me. But I can order Aroy D through Walmart and get it delivered, thankfully. I’d prefer to just order online from an Asian grocery store so I have access to more brands. Still can’t find things online like grachai or garlic chives, though… and they’re always out of shrimp paste!😫 Thanks for the video! Good to know! Are we gonna get Yellow and Massaman, too? Lol
Also, it seems the initial difference between the first three seems to disappear once you keep eating, so it’s nice to know they’re somewhat interchangeable. Makes it easier to find something. I love Aroy D (but I’m also a bit of a salt fiend, and it was my first experience with Thai Curry, so it has sentimental value to me😊).
I've half convinced myself that the thai kitchen brand single-handedly convinces people they can't make good thai food at home
I think you're right.
Yeah it seems like they just throw ingredients into a big vat and then immediately bottle them without simmering, blooming spices, or reducing anything. Terrible brand
i used to buy thai kitchen brand, but noticed i had to practically use the whole jar because i couldn’t taste the curry. now i know its not just me.
For a long time where I lived it was all you could find. Once I found a good Asian market, though, I was happy to find Mae Ploy and Maesri, as not only were they better, but the price for what you get is more economical.
Maybe it’s a conspiracy to drive people to Thai restaurants instead of cooking at home /s
My older brother was a head chef for years, whereas I am a completely novice home cook. He made a Thai Green Curry for dinner one day when I was visiting and I was blown away. He used the mae ploy paste and wrote me a recipe I could confidently do myself when at home.
he passed away a few years back but I still have his handwritten recipe framed in my kitchen and make it every few months. My supermarket stopped carrying Mae Ploy a few years back so I have to travel a bit further to get it, but i'll never use anything else.
Agree 100% Mae Ploy all the way. Sorry for your tremendous loss. 😭💐🙏
any chance you could share the recipe?
i would be honored to make it and keep his culinary legacy going, and enjoy a tasty TGC!
@@armukThat is a lovely message. 😊
What a sweet story. Thank you for sharing.
Save yourself the long trip and order online. Amazon carries it.
The three chili warning on Thai Kitchen is like how Superstore labels their “hot peppers” as very spicy, but then I take a bite and it’s like I have a long and skinny red bell pepper.🙄
😂😂😂
Anyone else have a problem with jalopenos being "nadapenos"? Lately, maybe the last year or so, grocery stores, mostly Safeway, but others as well, have NO heat! I asked them how they order, and they order jalopenos, but end up getting no-heat nadapenos. AARGH!
@@lindas.8036 Yeah, it happens sometimes. It’s a little crappy, but sometime peppers can be like that. Like the Korean green chilis; sometimes they’re spicy, and sometimes you bite into one expecting pain, but all you get is a sweet chili flavour. Lol
So freakin' accurate. I watched the red curry paste video and I can't handle a ton of spice, so I still thought "ok well, I'll try Thai Kitchen's red curry paste".... NO spice at all, barely ANY flavor. My god it's such a disappointment. That chili warning is such a lie. Taco Bell's mild sauce is spicier. Feels like such major false advertising lol
@@alorachan Lmao damn. You know you failed when you’ve been beat by Taco Bell, of all places.
Thanks for sharing. It was hilarious. Lol
My wife likes Mae Ploy and I like Aroy-D. We buy both brands and we use them alternatively in our cooking. For Red Curry and Green Curry we use both Aroy-D and Mae Ploy respectively.
accidental relationship advice
I luv your reviews, honest and without paid sponsor. I really appreciate that. Thank you very much.
big props in taking the efforts to try to standardize it across all 5.
not often seen in comparison videos here on YT
Perfect timing. I've been on a liquid diet for nearly a month due to surgery and craving Thai curry. I have a can of green Maesri in the pantry and since I can't yet have real solids I planned to make a green curry gravy and rice. Glad to find this brand did better in the green than the red. I really appreciate your videos on these products, Pailin. They are so useful. I have a Zogarushi rice cooker now and LOVE it.
Makes sense that Mae Ploy won. Here in Seattle every Thai restaurant uses that brand. I use it when I’m really craving green curry, but I use much more than recommended. Unfortunately, it’s still not even close to the fresh paste in Thailand. Then again, nothing ever is.
I use much more than recommended, too! I may use a tissue to wipe my eyes, but it is soooo worth it :)
I always use way more, too. 😂
How much more do you use?
@@ChiliCrisp88 About 1 1/2x the recommended amount. I think when Thai restaurants ask for preferred spiciness, the recommended amount is "medium" and I'd imagine they adjust up and down from there. 50% more makes it "hot," yet not inedible
p.s., with more paste, there is also more flavor from the aromatics - not just heat. I am a nerd and keep galangal, lemongrass stalks and chilis in the freezer. If you are making this for friends or family who have different tolerances for heat/spiciness, I'd advise to add more aromatics if you have them, plus a bit more sweet (1t cane or brown sugar), a bit more umami (about 1 t fish sauce or 1 t soy) and then offer thinly sliced chilies as an optional garnish for the heat-seekers :)
Thanks for including the Lobo mention at the end... it's a nice option here in Europe because it's one of very few brands who has smaller portions of paste (for when you just want to taste test them or simply don't need a whole tub).
Kaan, do you want green curry?
Noooo!
Such Rejection!!
So cute he understands Thai
I loved that too!
😂😂😂❤
😂😂😂
Omg, I was hoping and wishing you’d make one about green curry paste… you did! We love you Khun Pai!!
Im based in BKK and if you can get hold of the Lobo brand Thai Green Curry Paste, thats great too but luckily local markets have their own hand made pastes you can buy by the 100g. Fun fact, due to the eae and quality of pastes hardly anyone make their own anymore.
Yes Lobo is very good and affordable. It’s on Amazon here, in Florida.
I’m partial to the Blue Elephant cooking school paste available at Tops! Not the cheapest but there’s no shrimp and its pretty tasty 😀
I feel happy with the winner. Makes me feel better 😂 MP really is the best. Also they now offer vegan pastes without the shrimp. They sell them at my Asian market.
Oh good to know! Haven't seen it here.
I appreciate the amount of diligence you put in to making sure blind taste testes were fair and consistent. Excellent Job!!!
So you just confirmed what I already knew. It was fascinating to see everybody’s reactions. This makes me want to make some green curry for dinner tonight!
Im so glad mae ploy came out as the best, as this is the only one I can get hold of in the uk - and I’ve always loved it .
I just bought 5kg of chicken thighs together with all other necessary ingredients and I have randomly chosen the red and the green Mea Ploy pastes for my first home-made Thai dishes. I'm happy I've got the best ones. Thanks for your videos, they are very informative!
I am lucky, because I have an international grocer close by (Global Foods in greater STL). I can get galangal, lemongrass, cane sugar pucks, Thai basil, a zillion kinds of Asian eggplant, fish sauce, etc. I have used your recipe for homemade green curry paste and it's an all-afternoon adventure. It is fun and meditative, yet the prepared curry pastes are such excellent shortcuts. I just checked and have about 2T left of Mae Ploy in my fridge... it's my favorite, too. I always keep some galangal and lemongrass in the freezer (as well as red and green Thai chilis), so I can adjust to taste. It's amazing to be able to create restaurant-quality curry in your own kitchen. Excellent channel! Great and fun episode.
I’m not surprised the green curry video is your most popular. It was how I discovered your channel and website and I literally watch it every time I’m about to make a quick green curry 😂
"most people are not cooking from backs of packages"
I actually first learned to cook from the back of a Mae Ploy package 😂
lmao. Me too. 30 years ago.
@@peetiegonzalez1845 I was gonna say: that's something people did in the 80/90's!
We all start somewhere, and the back of a package is the most obvious place ;)
@@PailinsKitchen Especially back in the pre-internet pre-Hot-Thai-Kitchen days!
Not a thing I do a lot, but I still
use the recipe from the back of the suet package to make dumplings for beef stew.
All the staff are starving !!
The part you said about people doing their own recipes instead of the ones on the jar is so true. I actually went to see what people do with curry paste after just following my own recipe and using paste instead of just powdered spices or pre-made cooking sauce (and making a salty, oily mess that only I could eat -.-'). Had me wondering if the paste I got (Aroy D) was bad or something. I'll just follow a proper recipe next time.
Mae Ploy paste is always a winner in Poland and UK. I love red curry, and cooked it on my few visits back home in Poland. On the other hand I’m glad that one of the stores in Poland, is selling Aroy-D coconut milk, which I’m finding the best to cook curries. I love your channel, and thank you so much for sharing your hints and opinions😀 In two weeks I’m hoping to have some red curry in Scotland. Cooked and adapted by my friend. She’ll be using Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste of course. I’m just bringing my companion and a palm sugar. Imported from Thailand 😀 All the best Pailin and waiting for more hint 😀
I bought Mae Ploy from a local supermarket and it’s cheaper than Asian stores! It’s amazing and I love the flavour - it is a bit salty imo so make sure don’t add too much fish sauce.
your face when smelling the Thai Kitchen from McCormmick was PRICELESS!!!! I'm glad you did this video as Green Curry Chicken is MY FAVE!!!
I have used Thai Kitchen as it is the most readily available, but I switched to Aroy-D even before I saw your taste test for the red curry pastes. I have been on the look out for Mae Ploy as I really want to see the difference! I may do my own little taste test as I have some Thai Kitchen green curry paste still 😄 Thank you so much for your videos!
I really appreciate your effort to do this in such a properly scientific and objective method
Great video! I’ve been using Maesri lately because I love that I can use the entire can without having any leftover to take up precious fridge space…but maybe I need to go back to Mae Ploy!
Your cameraman is exceptionally tall 😂. I love either mae ploy or aroy-d. I think they're both delicious. How do you store yours? I used to just store it in the container it came in in the deep freezer and take it a bit before needing it.
I was lucky enough to begin my Thai food cooking journey with Mae Ploy over a decade ago. It's actually harder to find where I live now (still Northeast US), so I've had to rely on Aroy-D. They both seem to have better ingredients than the other options I've seen on the market. But I'm also a bigger fan of Mae Ploy because it seems to have more going on rather than just being spicy. I'm also a shrimp paste fan. Happy it won this time!
Wow. That is quite a thorough taste test.
Most folks would just make sauce. But this way is much more meaningful.
Best taste testing I’ve ever seen on TH-cam. Watching for 10+ years. 💁🏻♀️
Based on your last video, I amazon shopped a few types of Maeploy (red/yellow/panang/massaman) and will start making this at home. Can't wait to start this adventure.
From my point of view, all the work you put into these comparisons is worth it. I hope your numbers reflect that, but I really enjoy these. Seriously, knowing which product to buy when you have nothing to go on is so helpful. I'm pretty sure your fish sauce video influenced me because I somehow have both a regular fish sauce and a finishing fish sauce in my fridge now, lol. I love how you try to make as fair a test as you can.
I did my own one from scratch today for the first time. It was an absolute blast :)
I’m glad that Mae Ploy is the kind we have in my normal supermarket here in Sweden. I think my local store has all 4 curry pastes, green, panang, red, and massaman.
What about yellow curry paste? It's really tasty, my family's favourite)
Lobo is the most popular brand of Thai paste and seasoning you can find in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) actually, I've been using this for years and it performed well. Another takeaway for me it the package instructions - which was true with what you said in this video - I used your recipe and adjust without really reading into the instructions. Then I did follow through with what the package told me, it was not as good, and it also told me to add things I thought should not have been there.
I've bought some paste, made (kinda) fresh from a place called Nittaya Curry in Bangkok - can't wait to try it out and compare with store-bought paste.
I love Mae Ploy, having discovered it via Pailin's Red Curry comparison, and cannot recommend this brand highly enough for producing a really decent Thai curry very quickly at home. I have the Red, Green, Panang and Massaman pastes in my fridge (I'm less keen on yellow curry), and it means a restaurant quality Thai curry for me at least once a week. Absolute pantry/fridge treasure!
So glad to see Adam again with his opinions. It makes me feel validated that both East Asian and Western teams agree on the delicious flavours. Honestly, this was a helpful video. Question: If I've made a massive batch of Thai chilli paste, when does the flavour go off/gone?
It should last a long time in the fridge so I never worry about storage, and you can freeze it.
These taste tests are always so fun, excited for a new one!
Absolutely love your channel, the brand I use for paste is Lobo but i have to buy in Thailand for me its the same flavour of the small local restaurants around Thailand.
Picked up many good tips from your videos and learned a lot. Thank you for such a fantastic channel.
When I first started cooking Thai food at home, all I could find was Thai Kitchen, and it was so disappointing. I did try using the whole jar, and it still didn't taste right. I now use Mae Ploy for all of my curries at the suggestion of a friend. I am so happy to see that you recommend it!
If I don't have a homemade batch I've processed before (I can it instead of freeze it after), I go with arroy D and roast some shrimp paste. Just came back from another month in Thailand, it's close enough. Heat of the paste doesn't matter, I throw in 10 birds eye's anyway to a pot.
I like Maesri because it's less salty and more balanced, so I can use more of it in a dish! I'll use a whole tin for 2-3 servings of curry. Also it's one of the better choices if I'm cooking for people who are spice-sensitive.
Happy to see that my two favorites are your faves as well. I always try to use Mae Ploy or Aroy-d and love them both
Pai and Adam in the same shot is my favorite. The size difference always makes me laugh.
lol the difference is even more obvious on camera :) I usually don't really notice.
Im so glad you made a green curry version after the red curry version! I loved the red curry brand you recommended so im sure i will also try the green curry 💚 Thank you!
This is 2024. Order online instead of getting Thai Kitchen. No need to purchase the bad supermarket stuff anymore.
That's how stores lose business because no one visits the actual stores anymore and everyone wants to buy online
My favorite is still lobo brand curry paste for both green and red. Lobo is well balanced with salt and spices plus has shrimp undertones. Plus it comes in packets so I don't have to worry about wasting a large tub or forgetting about it in the back of my freezer.
I love these videos! I definitely don’t have the time or patience to make my own thai curry paste so having these brands ranked has been so helpful. I definitely make more thai curries at home after discovering Pai! I watch every cooking video that HTK releases
Hi, I'm from Australia and I LOVE the Valcom curry pastes, and yes, they have shrimp paste in them.
Love your reviews, keep up the good work ❤
Great video! I just used Maesri last night and it was delicious. Nice flavor and spicy. Now, I will try Mae Ploy and see if I notice a difference. Thanks for doing this comparison video.
Made green curry using nam jai and your amazing recipe, it was good but like you said it was weak! Even putting 1-2 spoons! I even added lemongrass and other strong spices. Thank you for the thorough video.
Next time just double the paste :)
I'm in Thailand and use Namjai routinely (My local 7/11 stocks it). When in the UK I use Mae Ploy but it's disappeared from my two local supermarkets (Asda and Morrison's) where the ubiquitous (UK brand) 'Blue Dragon' seems to have displaced it.
I’m a Thai living in Thailand. It’s very common for a home cook to buy these pre made paste. And here in Thailand e have so many brands to choose. I personally have my favorite which is “Nittaya”. It’s quite difficult to find as it’s not sale in any supermarket unless you buy on line or go directly to their shop. Some people mix 2 brand together. However at this moment I’m p obsessed with making my own paste I have found a channel that teach a super easy way to make my own paste. Since then I wouldn’t want to buy any store bought ever again. It’s much more fragrant and I can totally control the level of spiciness that I like by tailor pick the type of chili that I use.
Pailin, me and my family can only handle mild heat at best. Are there any brands of curry paste that you would recommend that are very mild, yet are still flavourful? Or should I try making curry paste from scratch, and just cutting back on the chiles?
I've tried Mae Ploy and Aroy-D, but they are both too spicy for our tastes. (green and red)
I've used thai kitchen before, but found that I'd have to use 2 whole bottles to get enough flavour out of it.
Should I try Maesri?
Hi Adam here - and I think you're going to have to ask her that one directly as she doesn't see the comments on here once the post is more than a few days old. You can check out options to get hold of her here hot-thai-kitchen.com/contact . Cheers!
Mae Ploy has been my go to for decades, and our pantry is filled with five or six of them. MaeSri is good also, with a whole different texture and flavor. What I really like was how you took a bit of the coconut milk and cooked it down before adding the paste; that'll be my next try.
I have tried making green curry at home with Thai Kitchen. I ended up using 2x the recommended amount, then 3x, and it still just tasted like plain coconut milk. I went out for Thai food last night and it occurred to me that the brand might be the problem. Glad to hear that there are better alternatives. My wife and I love Thai curry, so if we can make it at home, that's even better!
I have a feeling the results are going to be much the same as the last. On that note, I'm not going to stop buying the little tins from Maesri, because I live alone, and buying a huge tub doesn't work for me. If Maesri is a little less concentrated than Mae Ploy or Aroy-D, I can just use twice as much. I typically use half a small tin of Maesri for two servings of curry, one for dinner, one for lunch the next day. Mae Ploy and Aroy-D are not available in my town, and even in nearby towns, only come in the large tubs. I don't eat Thai food often enough to justify buying the large tubs, only because I cook so many different cuisines that there's only so many meals I can cook in a month. I'm Filipina American, so I am no stranger, novice, or lightweight when it comes to SE Asian food.
Pailin! I stumbled upon this channel about six years ago with your green curry video, and your recommendation for Mae Ploy set me on the right direction.
Personally I prefer it over Maesri, though often end up purchasing Maesri because it comes in a smaller quantity and can be cheaper for my budget. As a westerner who doesn’t do a ton of Thai cooking (though I LOVE it), it helps to get the shrimp paste from Mae Ploy in the package.
My favourite thing to make for dinner is reservations, but after this video, I think I could concoct a genuinely good Thai dinner at home!
Thank you for doing this Pailin! I wonder if now there will be a shortage of Mae Ploy in international markets! Everybody watching is going to order Mae Ploy and cause a hitch in the supply and they won’t know why all of a sudden the international markets are having shortages! It’s Pailin, she is so influential! We have tasted and cooked or Vice versa, her recipes and are out to buy what she recommends! 😂
I used Thia House it's better than the Trader Joe's Thai Curry brand, but it is still weak. I just bought the Aroy-D, so I'm happy to try this one.
Mae Ploy was my go-to for decades but it got a bit more salty than it used to. I'm now using Aroy D or Maesi whichever available at the store.
I get the tub of Mae Ploy, and keep it in my freezer, since I don't use it every week, but use it before it starts tasting like the fridge. The packaging is super good for freezer storage.
Red Curry might be my favorite dish ever. I tried so hard to recreate it and our local grocery stores only carried Thai Kitchen. I tried using that garbage and it came nowhere close to what I tried at restaurants until I used like a whole jar and ever then.. meh. Then a couple years ago, an amazing Asian supermarket opened near my office. It took over a big box store sized store and even had a great Vietnamese restaurant inside where they used to serve food. I live in the Midwest so this was huge for us. I found a dozen different curry paste that took up half an aisle, and I too can say that Mae Ploy is my go to as well. I always have a large open jar in the fridge and another in the panty on stand by.
THANK YOU so much for doing this!!! (I followed up and watched the red curry taste test) I use Maesri and never strayed because it’s what my mom always used and so it never occurred to me to try other brands😂 Now I realize why I always end up using the whole can (and sometimes needing 1 1/2 cans).
I live in Atlanta. There are a lot international markets here so I have many brands available to me. I am running out to get Mae Ploy, Namjai, Aroy-D and Lobo🤣 I’m eager to try Mae Ploy first! What’s funny is I use Lobo Thai seasoning mix as marinade base for chicken and pork pretty frequently.
Thanks for doing this, as I have bought different brands to notice the obvious difference. Some have been truly disappointing.
This is pretty useful thanks!
I always make my own green and red chili paste now. But it's good to be ready and in the know of what to buy if there's a supply issue. So I can know what to buy in a pinch...
I use Mae Ploy that I buy from Amazon since the stores around me in middle Georgia (USA) only sell Thai Kitchen. Coincidentally I’m eating massaman curry watching this made with Mae Ploy. Meanwhile, I just watched one of your older videos that said I’m supposed to store unused paste in the freezer so I just tossed the old green curry paste from Mae Ploy I had sitting in the back of my fridge. 😅 Thanks for the tips!
Very cool vid! I've been on a Thai kick lately, but it gets pretty costly ordering take-out or dining out. I've decided to learn how to make Thai curry at home. I've already learned how to make pad thai, thanks to your awesome pad thai vids (which I highly recommend for everyone to check out!) Thanks for posting, Pailin!
The Thai Kitchen is worse than sad, it's criminal.
I tried the red last year, still have the green.
Why I won't throw it away, I don't know.
I made the red curry paste years ago with my friend, it was alot of work but so worth it.
So delicious. 😋
Love that you do these taste test Pailin, it's so important to understand brands and which is best. It would also be appreciated if you could tell us, how long they last, especially after opening. I hope you continue and Thank you to you, your friends and family.👍❤️
I bought a tub of Mae Ploys red curry paste and it states that it lasts for a whole year as long as you refrigerate it after opening. I hope that helps 😊
otakugamer6657
Thank you!
In the mid 2000s in the UK as a student from Sri Lanka I couldn’t make proper Sri Lankan curry. So I depended on Mploy green curry paste as it gives similar levels of spice and fuller body coconut milk curry, we also love coconut milk curry’s over others.
It was expensive the curry can as a student but I loved this brand. I miss those days but can’t find it in SL Mploy. As making green curry from scratch is very time consuming.
Mae Ploy all the way. I'm half Thai and had it all the time growing up. You can't go wrong with it. I tried Thai Kitchen once and never again. Stay away if you can lol.
Such a great taste test, Pai. Thanks so much for both red & green tests!
Thank you so much for showing me Mae Ploy curry paste. My curries are finally delicious and not a pot of disappointment! Goodbye Thai Kitchen!
Which brand / types of curry pastes can you recommend when spiciness is a problem? It‘s not that I can‘t handle it but unfortunately I have IBS and spiciness from chillies makes it worse. The day after a delicious Thai curry is usually suffering because of that.
I’m glad that Mae Ploy is available in the UK.
I think that Mae Ploy came second to Arroy-D is because when you make Green curry for you to eat, instead of making a comparison taste test, you adjust the taste while cooking, so you end up with something you prefer.
It would have taken a lot of time, but you could have adjusted the sugar and fish sauce depending on what is already in the curry paste,
I was about to ask about Lobo, because I think it is quite common in France (but I don't cook thai food when visiting France :)
I really agreed with the ranking she showed in the video. I'm Thai and currently live in Houston, TX. I always loved Mae Ploy however, please no more adding salt because it was quite salty. Based on my experience, I recommended 45 g (3 Tbsp) of dragonfly curry paste to 23 g (1.5 Tbsp) of Mae Ploy added to 500 g of canned coconut milk (Aroy-D).
Thank you. Since you have done red and green are you planning on other [colour] curries as well? I hope you do!
Have been going back to your videos in the past 6 months (recent discovery), and just ordered your latest cookbook!
Been a while since I’ve seen your posts. Nice to see your circle of friends and family!
I’ve always only ever bought or Mae Ploy or Aroy D when Mae Ploy wasn’t available, this video has validated my choice there
Mae ploy is definitely my go to here in the UK, plus it's reasonably priced and readily available in both asian and non-asian supermarkets
My wife use Nam Jai
She just use all of the package it turn out great
As you said it need to put more but i quite think that more natural for the RTU product
Where I'm from Aroy-D is the only brand that sells proper coconut cream/milk.
I haven't tried Aroy-D curry paste, but Mae Ploy was already wayy too hot for a base paste.
Make it less hot so people could control and fit the spice level to what they want.
I don't add any sweeteners though, it's unhealthy, so maybe that's why I get unbalanced heat.
I only make my own curry now.
I have been using Maesri, as it is easy to find at local ethnic markets but i will have to try the other brands . glad to know i didnt make a bad choice though
Auntie's hubby is cuuuuuuute! Great job on this, Pailin! ❤
Excellent comparison. I have a Thai Kitchen red curry in my pantry needing a reason to throw it out, now i have one, thanks! Have been using the Aroy-D curry and coconut milk for a number of years, much better. Thanks!
🌸 I’d like to point out because your go to was used so often for years
Both you and your husband prefer the other brand
It’s like smells we get nose blind to things we are exposed to more frequently
This is why I alternate my two favourite types 🎉
Trust me it’s best making it yourself 😊
Mae Ploy for me. I get the big tubs on Amazon, then freeze it. It lasts for months. In a pinch I've tried Thai Kitchen, and it never goes well. My bigger problem is finding good coconut milk, because Amazon isn't really an option.
Sneaking past the camera! lol, Great video, Thanks for this.
It's interesting to see that someone else prefers Aroy-D in green and Mae Ploy in red. ^.^ Always nice to see someone who knows how it should taste do these tests.
I became a Mae Ploy lifer after I found out that it's a popular choice for Thai restaurants here in California. This video confirms it's the right choice! 😊
Thai kitchen makes the best chicken wing sauce reds the best / cilantro is a must if you ever eat them it changes the flavor totally.thats all my family used it for add butter and garlic
Hi Pai, love your channel. So informative and well presented. I’m in the UK, we get Lobo brand pastes and seasonings, would be great to have a review of the red/green pastes and also the Tom yum , Tom Kai soups. Also love your cook books. Keep up the excellent work. 😊
Be interesting to have a second switch around before the rice test 👍 💕
Thanks for the taste test. It is super helpful for people like me not familiar with Thai cuisine who want to expand their horizons. BTW I found LoBo on Amazon.
I use Aroy-D cause that's the only actual Thai brand available in stores around my parts, but I do mix it with shrimp paste cause I've tasted it without it and it really isn't the same.
Lol Thai Kitchen never stood a chance… (as expected 😂). It’s also unfortunately the only one that’s available up by me. But I can order Aroy D through Walmart and get it delivered, thankfully. I’d prefer to just order online from an Asian grocery store so I have access to more brands.
Still can’t find things online like grachai or garlic chives, though… and they’re always out of shrimp paste!😫
Thanks for the video! Good to know! Are we gonna get Yellow and Massaman, too? Lol
Also, it seems the initial difference between the first three seems to disappear once you keep eating, so it’s nice to know they’re somewhat interchangeable. Makes it easier to find something. I love Aroy D (but I’m also a bit of a salt fiend, and it was my first experience with Thai Curry, so it has sentimental value to me😊).
Thai food is my MOST favorite! So happy I've found you!! Thanks for all your teaching 😀