These chillies are tiny, just about the length of your little finger, but are very hot. This is why in Singapore we would call someone who’s petite, but brazen, a chilli padi (its Malay name). Both green and red ones are spicy, with the red one having a brighter, hotter taste. They are grown for their heat and flavour rather than their (minimal) flesh, so you’ll use them in small quantities to spice up sauces, dressings and soups rather than make chilli or curry paste out of. If you find it hard to use up a bag quick enough, here’s a tip: bird’s-eye chillies freeze beautifully and thaw in seconds under tap water.
Large chillies are actually less hot than their tiny counterparts. They’re best in chilli or curry pastes when you need large quantities of chilli for the green or red colour of their flesh and don’t want to burn your tongue off at the end. They can also be finely sliced or chopped as garnish. The serrano or jalapeño chillies common in the West are similar to the ones we get in Southeast Asia in terms of size and flavour, so you can use them as substitutes.
Some people might assume that dried chillies are inferior to fresh ones, as this is very much what we’ve been taught about herbs. However, both fresh and dried chillies have specific purposes in Southeast Asian cooking and one is in no way better than the other. Dried chillies have a musky, almost smoky flavour that is best brought out with hot oil or slow cooking. To use them, soak in hot water for 20 minutes until soft before chopping or pounding into curry or spice pastes.
White peppercorns come from the same plant as black peppercorns, but are harvested when the berries are fully ripe and have their skins removed. White pepper is milder compared to black pepper, but has a pungent earthiness to it that lends itself to Asian dishes especially well. In fact, you will see many dishes in this book using white pepper in abnormally huge quantities for its flavour.
Unlike Western cooking, you will find recipes call for black pepper specifically for its aromatic heat rather than as a cursory afterthought or habit. In Cambodia, black pepper is the preferred choice when heat is wanted in a dish. Always get peppercorns and grind them fresh; it will make a world of difference to your dish.