Where can I get Thai chili powder locally?

Question

I'm looking to buy Thai chili powder locally. I went to Indian grocery stores, Korean grocery stores and Chinese grocery stores. I can't seem to find them. The have many chili powder choices, but I do not know whether they have the same flavor profile and heat level as Thai Chili. Can someone help me shed some light on this?

Thanks!

p.s. Ideally somewhere in San Jose area would be great; but if there is a store in SF that have them I don't mind checking them out too.

Answer

I'm not sure Thais use chile powder. Mostly they use fresh chiles and when they use dried they usually start with whole one. If they do you'd find it at the Thai or Lao markets in Oakland. I'm not sure there's any comparable place in San Jose. This site has some pointers:

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/markets/sobay.html

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Lao Market
1619 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606

Sontepheap Market
1400 14th Ave, Oakland, CA

Answer

I think fresh Thai chiles will have a similar heat profile, and I've seen big bunches at the SF Alemany farmer's market (for $1!) and loose at Berkeley Bowl, Monterey Market. It's very easy to dry them yourself and whir in a food processor to the consistency you want (although I just keep them whole and break them open as needed). Hard to say how it will compare to your online source since chiles will vary in heat. But I have found that using just 1-2 tiny ones brings up the heat level of a dish noticeably.

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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

Answer

There is a vendor at the Civic Center Farmer's Market in SF on Wednesdays that has ground Thai chili powder. They are right on Hyde St. at the very end of the market. They have it in small ziplock bags and it is HOT. I think I paid 2 or 3 dollars for a bag.

Answer

in san jose, you should check the vietnamese supermarkets (not 99 but lion may have it). many carry thai products from thailand.
as you know, thai and vietnamese cooking have some overlap in ingredients.

Answer

Thanks everyone for giving me ideas. Just to give an update in case others are looking. So far I checked many San Jose grocery stores including Lions and the list Robert provided. No luck! Apparently most chili powder in Asian stores are made of pimen chile which is not as spicy and with different flavor profile. That's too bad, yeah, thai chili powder are really good to have if you like spicy food :-)

I guess I may have to bite the bullet and get it online. Yes, as mentioned there are couple places that sell it online. Unfortunately for 3.5 oz. it cost $2.75 but charges close to $7 for shipping!

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Where can I get Thai chili powder locally?

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