curry
Jungle Curry
แกงป่า
Very Hot
Jungle Curry (Gaeng Pa) is a fiery, coconut-free curry made with water, wild herbs, and a bold, pungent paste — the hottest of all Thai curries and traditionally cooked with wild game.
Cultural Origin
Gaeng pa, jungle curry, is a Central and Northern Thai countryside curry that contains no coconut milk — a clear, brothy, intensely hot curry that originated as a hunter's dish using whatever forest game and vegetables were available. The flavour comes from a fresh red chili paste, krachai (fingerroot), green peppercorns, holy basil and yardlong beans. It is the antithesis of the rich royal-court curries of Bangkok.
Regional Variants
| Region | How it differs |
|---|---|
| Central | Central gaeng pa is intensely spicy, clear-brothed, with krachai, green peppercorn and holy basil over pork or fish. |
| Northern | Northern versions often include local wild vegetables and forest mushrooms in addition to the chili paste. |
Allergens & Sensitivities
shellfishshrimp pastefishgarlicchili
Key Ingredients
- red curry paste
- krachai (fingerroot)
- bamboo shoots
- Thai basil
- fish sauce
Where to Try It
Central Thai restaurants and northern Thai eateries — rarely found on tourist menus.
Tips
- Request 'pet nit noi' (mildly spicy) unless you have genuine chilli tolerance — this curry has no coconut milk to soften the heat.