Wai Kua
(Reef squid curry)
On Koh Samui, mornings begin with a shimmer. The sea turns silver as the sun rises, and if you look closely near the rocky shores, you’ll catch small flashes of movement — reef squid, known locally as wai, gliding gracefully through the shallows. For generations, these delicate creatures have sustained island families, both as a livelihood and as the centrepiece of one of Samui’s most beloved dishes: Wai Kua.
Unlike the typical southern Thai curry, this fragrant white curry carries no heavy dose of chilli. Instead, it begins, as many Samui recipes do, with coconut. The milk is pressed fresh each morning from coconuts grown in the island’s fertile groves. The process is beautifully analogue: the coconut flesh is grated by hand, then wrapped in muslin and squeezed until the thick, creamy liquid runs free. That first press, rich and silky, is the secret to Wai Kua’s velvety texture and natural sweetness.
Into that fragrant coconut cream goes an aromatic blend that defines Samui’s coastal cuisine. There’s kapi, a fermented krill paste that is salty, savoury, and briny all at once. Then come the bright, green notes of kaffir lime leaves, the citrusy lift of lemongrass, and the gentle bite of shallots and fresh red chilli. A touch of tamarind pulp (makaam piak) is stirred in at the end, adding a soft tang that rounds out the dish’s richness.
The star, of course, is the squid itself. Freshly caught wai are cleaned, sliced, and gently simmered until tender and springy. The squid absorbs the coconut’s sweetness while releasing its own oceanic depth. Ask any Samui local and they will tell you that this dish is special for its flavour and the sense of place it evokes. The squid is often pulled from the sea that very morning, the coconut milk pressed from fruit grown just inland, and the krill paste made by hand in small seaside villages where families still sun-dry tiny shrimp along the shore. It’s a dish shaped entirely by proximity — to the sea, the soil, and the people who work both.
Finding Wai Kua today can feel like uncovering a secret. You won’t find it on resort menus or in tourist cafés, but at local eateries tucked behind coconut plantations or near the fishing piers of Hua Thanon and Mae Nam. Each cook adds a personal touch — a bit more chilli here, a hint of palm sugar there — but the essence never wavers.
At a coconut farm inland, you might see women sitting in the shade, hand-grating coconuts as they chat softly. Down by the shore, fishermen unload baskets of fresh squid. These simple, parallel rituals — land and sea in quiet collaboration — are what give Wai Kua its soul.
For a glimpse into how fresh coconut cream is made before finding its way into the pot, visit a local coconut farm and watch as the island’s most essential ingredient is pressed by hand — the same way it has been for generations.
