Food and drink ขมิ้น kà-mîn
turmeric noun
- kà low
- mîn falling
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
How to use it
Fresh orange turmeric root is a favourite of Southern Thai cooking: it colours the fiery, sour แกงเหลืองgaeng-lǔeang and the crispy turmeric fried chicken and fish sold at Southern stalls, and ground turmeric goes into yellow curry powder. It stains everything it touches, from fingers to chopping boards.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- khamin
- kha min
- kamiin
More food and drink in Thai
All food and drink- ข้าว kâao Rice
- ข้าวเหนียว kâao-nǐaw Sticky rice
- ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง kâao-nǐaw má-mûang Mango sticky rice
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones