The four-jar condiment set on every Thai table — how to use it and what each one does.
Almost every Thai noodle or rice shop has four jars: sugar, dried chilli flakes, fish sauce, and vinegar with pickled chillies.
Add sugar to balance acidity; chilli flakes to increase heat; fish sauce for saltiness; vinegar-chilli for sourness and mild heat — adjust to your preference.
Thai food is intentionally balanced at the kitchen level, but the table condiments let you adjust to your taste — using them is expected, not an insult.
Sriracha sauce (Thai version is tangier than American Huy Fong), nam prik pao (roasted chilli paste), prik nam pla (fresh chilli in fish sauce) — the building blocks of Thai flavour.
Dipping sauces (nam jim) vary by dish — a sweet chilli sauce for fried items, a tangy tamarind-based sauce for grilled meats, and a sharp lime-garlic sauce for seafood are the most common.
Bottled sriracha and nam prik pao travel well in checked luggage and make compact, genuinely useful souvenirs — supermarkets stock a wider range and better prices than tourist gift shops.