Thai Spice Info Thailand has the same affection for chilies as Indonesia, and uses them with garlic, coriander, lemon grass and tamarind. Sauces called Nam prik, made with chilies (prik), shallots, garlic and trassi, are the local equivalent of sambals. They are made quickly, with no hard and fast rules: the sauces vary from region to region and cook to cook. Nam prik is eaten with vegetables, rice and fish. Curries are an important element in the Thai menu. They are flavored with ferociously hot pastes made of spices and either red, green or yellow chilies, according to the ingredients used. As in India, the spice mix is prepared when needed and is not usually stored, but these pastes will keep for about a month in the refrigerator.