Both red curry paste and panang curry paste are staple ingredients in Thai cuisine, used to flavor and add spice to various dishes. While they share some similarities, there are distinct differences between the two pastes that impact flavor profile, spiciness level, and appropriate culinary uses. Understanding the differences allows home cooks to choose the right curry paste for their dish.
Red curry paste and panang curry paste have the following key differences:
- Main chilies used – Red curry uses dried red chilies as the main chili ingredient, while panang curry relies more on fresh red chilies.
- Spiciness level – Red curry paste is very spicy, while panang curry paste has a milder spiciness.
- Flavor profile – Red curry has an intense, salty-spicy flavor, while panang curry is more subtly spicy with notes of peanuts and kaffir lime.
- Color – Red curry paste has an obvious bright red-orange color, while panang curry paste is a darker rusty reddish brown.
- Cuisine uses – Red curry paste is used in many Thai dishes, while panang curry paste has a more specific role in panang curry.
The rest of this article will explore these key differences in more detail, looking at the chili peppers, flavor profiles, spiciness levels, colors, and best uses for each paste in Thai cooking.
Main Chili Peppers Used
The first major difference between red curry paste and panang curry paste is the types of chili peppers primarily used in each.
Red Curry Paste
The foundation of red curry paste is dried red chili peppers. Common varieties used include:
- Bird’s eye chilies
- Large red dried chilies
- Arbol chilies
These peppers all provide the signature red color and pure heat that defines red curry paste. Dried chilies are rehydrated and then ground into a paste along with other aromatics and spices.
Panang Curry Paste
While panang curry paste may contain some dried red chilies, its main chili ingredient is fresh red chilies. Common varieties used in panang include:
- Finger chilies
- Holland chilies
- Prik chee fah chilies
The fresh chilies have a fruitier flavor and give panang curry its signature reddish-brown color. They provide milder heat compared to the searing spiciness of dried red chilies.
Spiciness Level
The different chili peppers used impact the overall spiciness level of the pastes.
Red Curry Paste
Thanks to its liberal use of dried red chilies, red curry paste ranks at the top of the spice scale for Thai curries. It provides an intense burning heat that immediately grips the palate. Even small amounts of red curry paste pack a lot of spicy punch.
Panang Curry Paste
With its focus on fresh chilies, panang curry paste has a significantly milder spiciness compared to red curry. While still providing a noticeable kick, the heat tends to creep up slowly rather than overwhelm the palate. Panang curry is often described as gently spicy or moderately spicy rather than fiery hot.
So for those who prefer more tempered spiciness in their Thai curries, panang curry is a better choice than the blowtorch heat of red curry.
Flavor Profiles
Beyond spiciness differences, red curry paste and panang curry paste each have their own distinct flavor profiles.
Red Curry Paste
In addition to the pure chili heat, red curry paste has an intense, salty-spicy flavor. This comes from the common inclusion of shrimp paste and fish sauce in red curry recipes. The overall flavor is quite sharp, dominated by chili heat with background notes of garlic, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaf.
Panang Curry Paste
Panang curry has a much more rounded flavor profile. Along with the milder chili heat, it showcases aromatic ingredients like peanuts, kaffir lime, garlic, and lemongrass. These flavors mingle to create a subtle, nutty spiciness. The overall effect is more subtly complex versus the in-your-face heat of red curry.
Color Differences
The chili peppers and other ingredient choices also impact the color of the final paste.
Red Curry Paste
As the name suggests, red curry paste lives up to its fiery hue. Made primarily from dried red chilies, it has a bright orange-red color that almost glows. A dollop of red curry paste is unmistakable thanks to its vivid reddish-orange color.
Panang Curry Paste
Panang curry paste has a much darker color, coming from the fresh red chili peppers. It ranges from a rich reddish brown to a darker brick red. Compared side-by-side with red curry paste, panang curry is clearly darker and less orange-toned.
Cuisine Uses
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two pastes is their uses in Thai cuisine.
Red Curry Paste
Red curry paste is used in many different Thai dishes beyond just red curry. Popular uses include:
- Red curry – the most common use
- Red curry noodle soups
- Stir fries
- Red curry fried rice
- Marinades and sauces
- Thai chili pastes
Because of its widely appealing bold, spicy flavor, red curry paste is very versatile in Thai cooking.
Panang Curry Paste
Panang curry paste has a much more specialized use – it’s primarily only used to make panang curry dishes and sauces. Some examples include:
- Panang curry with beef, chicken, shrimp, etc.
- Panang gai (panang curry with chicken)
- Panang neu (panang curry with beef)
- Panaeng sauce
Beyond panang curry, this paste rarely makes appearances in Thai cuisine. Its flavor profile doesn’t lend itself well to stir fries, soups, or other versatile uses like red curry paste.
Quick Comparison
Here is a quick summary comparing some of the main differences between red curry paste and panang curry paste:
| Red Curry Paste | Panang Curry Paste |
|---|---|
| Main Chili: Dried red chilies like bird’s eye | Main Chili: Fresh red chilies like finger chilies |
| Spiciness: Very spicy and fiery | Spiciness: Moderately spicy with milder heat |
| Flavor: Intense salty-spicy flavor | Flavor: Subtly complex and nutty |
| Color: Vibrant reddish-orange | Color: Dark brick red to reddish brown |
| Uses: Very versatile in many dishes | Uses: Primarily used for panang curry |
Conclusion
While red curry paste and panang curry paste both add spicy Thai flavor to dishes, they have distinct differences that impact their heat level, taste, appearance and culinary uses. Understanding these unique characteristics allows cooks to choose the right curry paste for their desired flavor and texture outcomes. Red curry shines with its bold heat and bright color, while panang curry brings a more tempered and nuanced spicy profile. With their complementary strengths, both pastes have an important place in Thai cuisine.