Does anybody know if there is any difference between the following:

1. CHU ROT (ชูรส)

2. PRUNG ROT (ปรุงรส)

They are both often listed as being:

seasonings

flavourings

spices

Also, the other day I think I found in the Royal Thai dictionary a description for KRUEANG PRUNG ROT (เครื่องปรุงรส) which said 'condiments (sauce, salt, etc.)', so in this case, it would not really coincide with seasonings, flavourings and spices description.

Thank you for your help.

To the best of my knowledge ชูรส is equal to MSG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamate_flavoring)

My wife says, that ชูรส is also ปรุงรส.

So ปรุงรส is actually the general word for seasoning.

Edit: I just did a Google search for ชูรส and it came with lots of pictures of this (MSG)

And this a sample picture for ปรุงรส

Edited May 14, 201610 yr by MJCM

Dear MJCM (and wife),

Thank you very much for that information and the photos.

MSG is actually PHONG CHUROT (ผงชูรส), so I think, as you say, they can both mean seasonings, flavours and spices (as shown in your second photo).

I appreciate your help.

Phong ((ผง) is just the word for Powder.

To give you an example I just ordered Chlorine (something completely different) , and they asked if I wanted ผง or ก้อน

Edited May 14, 201610 yr by MJCM

Dear MJCM,

Thank you for your post. I know that PHONG just means powder, however the point I am trying to get across is that almost in all dictionaries, CHU ROT and PRUNG ROT are almost always shown (both of them) as flavourings, seasonings and spices and I am trying to establish if there is a difference (and if so, what) or whether they are actually the same.

I appreciate your help.

The problem is that if you ask a Thai what that white powder is they chuck in the food, they have no concept of MSG (as a scientific description of the ingredients, or as a health risk) and just say "make taste better", hence the confusion over the words.

To them MSG is just another flavouring ingredient and they wouldn't know which bush it grows on.

Edited May 14, 201610 yr by Gsxrnz

The problem is that if you ask a Thai what that white powder is they chuck in the food, they have no concept of MSG (as a scientific description of the ingredients, or as a health risk) and just say "make taste better", hence the confusion over the words.

To them MSG is just another flavouring ingredient and they wouldn't know which bush it grows on.

That's because it's NOT a "health risk". It's a seasoning. Good in moderation, like Sodium Chloride.

"What bush it grows on?" It was originally derived from beets, now usually chemically synthesized (like many things we eat).

In the West, we're the idiots for insisting on referring only to that particular seasoning by its chemical name, thus somehow "criminalizing" it. In all Asian languages, it has a regular name, just as "salt" or "turmeric" does. As it should be. There are absolutely NO scientific studies showing the so-called "health risks" of what we call MSG.

And please don't moan to me about how you "always get a headache after you've eaten at a Chinese restaurant". Not unless you're also going to talk about your headaches after you eat at McDonald's, KFC, etc., or after you use any bottled salad dressing, or ketchup, or eat crackers, potato chips, etc., etc....Western processed food is LOADED with MSG.

Edited May 14, 201610 yr by Saastrajaa

Getting off the track a bit.

The problem is that if you ask a Thai what that white powder is they chuck in the food, they have no concept of MSG (as a scientific description of the ingredients, or as a health risk) and just say "make taste better", hence the confusion over the words.

To them MSG is just another flavouring ingredient and they wouldn't know which bush it grows on.

That's because it's NOT a "health risk". It's a seasoning. Good in moderation, like Sodium Chloride.

"What bush it grows on?" It was originally derived from beets, now usually chemically synthesized (like many things we eat).

In the West, we're the idiots for insisting on referring only to that particular seasoning by its chemical name, thus somehow "criminalizing" it. In all Asian languages, it has a regular name, just as "salt" or "turmeric" does. As it should be. There are absolutely NO scientific studies showing the so-called "health risks" of what we call MSG.

And please don't moan to me about how you "always get a headache after you've eaten at a Chinese restaurant". Not unless you're also going to talk about your headaches after you eat at McDonald's, KFC, etc., or after you use any bottled salad dressing, or ketchup, or eat crackers, potato chips, etc., etc....Western processed food is LOADED with MSG.

Dude, you've taken my flip response way too literally. I don't give a fig about the perceived health risks of MSG. In fact I use it myself occasionally and I don't get headaches - if i do get headaches then I can usually attribute it to Mr JW before I'd blame the MSG. And for clarity, I wasn't moaning about anything.

I was simply pointing out (as this is the language forum), that the average Thai hosewife doesn't understand what MSG is other than to describe it as a cooking ingredient, hence the confusion in Thai language when referring to MSG specifically, or generalising it by calling it a spice.

Lighten up Man - if you want to start a thread on MSG go to the food and cooking section.

I have just been advised by a member of the forum that the word CHU can mean to raise or elevate.

Therefore, when combined with ROT. I think we can surmise that CHU ROT would mean to enhance the flavour.

I have just been advised by a member of the forum that the word CHU can mean to raise or elevate.

Therefore, when combined with ROT. I think we can surmise that CHU ROT would mean to enhance the flavour.

But isn't that what seasoning is all about

Sorry getting a bit off topic (again) [emoji12]

Dear MJCM,

Thanks for your post. Yes, that's what seasoning is all about, but I needed to have something to back up the reasoning behind the words.

No problem with you guys/girls getting of the track.

Thanks for your help.

I believe you will find that these are not nouns, they are verbs.

ชูรส is a verb meaning "enhance (boost) the flavor"

ปรุงรส is a transitive verb (can take an object) meaning "to flavor or season". "I season the soup".

The difference is subtle. Not being Thai, I would be on uncertain ground as to which to use, when.

From LEXiTRON:

ชูรส can be both a noun and a verb. As a noun it means sodium hydrogen glutamate or monosodium glutamate. As a verb it means to enhance the flavour, as in the example sentence เรากินน้ำตาลเพื่อชูรสอาหารทำให้อาหารรสดีขึ้น - we add sugar in order to enhance the flavour of food to make the food more tasty.

ปรุงรส is a verb meaning "to flavour".

As for the RID, the definition for เครื่องปรุงรส reads น. สิ่งที่ใช้ปรุงแต่งรสอาหาร เช่น น้ำตาล น้ำปลา เกลือ - Noun. Thing which is used to enhance the flavour of food, for example sugar, fish sauce, salt.

Dear Seligne2,

Thank you very much for that information. I appreciate you researching that for me.

Dear Oxx,

Thank you also for all that information and the examples as well.

You have done a lot of research and I sincerely appreciate it.

I think the meanings of these two descriptions are very clear now, as well as KHRUEANG PRUNG ROT.

Edited May 15, 201610 yr by Kanga Japan