What is Chili-Lime Rice Powder?
Chili lime rice powder is a variation on toasted rice powder. The powder is a reddish color from the chilies.The rice powder is mixed with seasonings such as fish sauce, lime juice and chili powder. These ingredients are dehydrated to create a deeply umami, bright and spicy powder that is used in savory Thai dishes.
What does Chili-Lime Rice Powder Taste Like?
...Umami is one of five main tastes. It is savory with a depth of flavor. Umami is a taste in many foods, including meat, seafood, beans, and nuts. It is both naturally occurring and created through the specific use of ingredients to create a satisfying taste. Umami is characteristic of proteins and savory dishes.
...Spicy is a flavor that brings heat and fire to food by creating a burning sensation in the mouth or sinuses. Spicy flavors come from hot peppers, horseradish, and wasabi. Spicy adds a kick and sometimes complexity to a dish and releases endorphins, creating a mildly addictive quality.
Ingredients
...Lime juice comes from the citrus fruit of the lime tree. Limes are round and roughly the size of a small plum, but can vary. Limes have a firm texture with green rind. The pale green flesh of the lime is firm, pulpy and juicy, much like a lemon, but harder. The juice is squeezed from the flesh and is a pale green color with a sour and refreshing taste and is used in drinks and food items, including sauces.
...Fish sauce is a clear and thin liquid with a color that is light or medium brown and made from anchovies. It is used in many East Asian dishes to add a marine-like umami quality. The flavor is salty, fishy and fermented. A little bit goes a long way and can make or break a dish, depending on the amount used. Just enough fish sauce brightens every flavor in the dish, while too much is overpowering.
...Shallot are a type of onion with a milder flavor than the large bulb varieties. Shallots are small onions in a lumpy oblong shape. They have a papery dry, brown skin that protects the ringed layers of the onions flesh. These layers are white with hints of purple and are juicy and crunchy. The shallot has a sweet and gently sharp taste that once cooked lends a silky and savory sweetness to a dish.
...Toasted rice powder also called khao khua is made by toasting raw sticky rice until it is golden and grinding it into a powder. It is used to thicken sauces and soups and add a nutty flavor to savory dishes. The flavor is nutty, mild and pleasing. Toasted rice powder is popular in Thai and Lao cuisines.
...Sugar comes from sugar cane and sugar beets. The sugar is extracted from the juice of both plants and refined into the granulated substance known as sugar. Sucrose, the sweet substance of sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. White sugar is composed of tiny white, dry granules. The flavor is sweet and neutral. Brown sugar is brown and has more moisture, with a richer flavor that hints at molasses. Sugar is used in both sweet and savory foods.
...Cilantro is a leafy herb with a thin green stalk and small, partially fringed green leaves that look similar to a three leaf clover. It has a distinct smell that is similar to a lime and a flavor to match that. In addition, it smells and tastes the same and has a strong flavor with a hint of greens. Due to a genetic trait, some people find that cilantro tastes like soap. This herb is used in many cuisines, particularly from Asia and Central and South America.
...Red chili flakes are usually made from cayenne peppers that have been dried and ground into small red flakes. The seeds are included and add much heat. The flavor is spicy and can be used as a topping for savory dishes such as pizza, meats and veggies.