Trader Joe's Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce

This is Day Two of Coconut Week. 


I know next to nothing about Thai cuisine. I have never before purchased any grocery product labeled as a Thai food (other than things like rice that just happen to come from Thailand). I have never before bought any sort of curry sauce.

So why did I get this? Simple: I was looking to increase the number of different kinds of products that I could fit into Coconut Week! See, right there on the label? "A classic Thai curry sauce with coconut & lemongrass...." In fact, coconut milk is the second ingredient, after water, and "organic shredded coconut" is in there, too.

Besides, it has an elephant on the label, and I like elephants. If this stuff is good enough to feed to elephants, it's good enough for me.

I really had no idea how to use it, so I made something up. I took some seitan-based fake chicken strips, put them in a big bowl with the entire contents of this jar dumped in, and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Then at dinnertime, I just let the whole mess simmer until it was clear that the sauce was substantially thickening, and poured it over some rice. (Thai rice, by handy coincidence, is what I had on hand.)

For all I know, the marinating may have added nothing; perhaps I would have achieved the same results without that step. But something was right about what I did, because I liked the results a lot. Or, as they say in Thailand, mucho bueno. It was flavorful but mild; distinctly currylicious, but not painfully so. And get off your high horse--currylicious is TOO a word.


Will I buy it again? 

Yes. I am well pleased that I took a more-or-less random stab at a completely unknown part of the food world, and had such a delightful result, with next to no work involved. This is exactly the kind of experience that encourages me to--gasp!--try more new things.

Nina's View

1. Unknown food of unknown flavor and unknown cooking technique.

2. Purchase.

3. Cook.

4. Eat.

5. Enjoy!

6. Repeat.

I cannot tell you how it thrills me that Bob actively derives pleasure from this. Food is fun!