Siamese Culinary Masterclasses for Professional Chefs and Thai food enthusiasts

In my masterclasses, for the first time in the English language, I reveal the culinary secrets hidden in old and hard-to-find Siamese cookbooks and recipes dating from the late 19th century to modern days. 

Get unlimited access to Thaifoodmaster’s constantly growing library of prime professional masterclasses, articles, recipes and videos on Siamese culinary topics, available nowhere else in English.

Are you a chef or food lover? Join our in-person workshops in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Learn traditional techniques from a Thai cuisine expert in a serene farm setting.  ✨ Reserve your spot now as spaces are limited!

Practical and kitchen-tested recipes with a mix of theory, history, psychology, and Siamese culture tidbits.

mkhp_as_is

MKHP_as_is (Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa as is)

1908
A pioneering Siamese noblewoman puts pen to paper. Lady Plean Passakornrawong (ท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน) records the culinary heritage of late 19th-century Siam in her culinary bible, Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa (MKHP) (แม่ครัวหัวป่าก์). From intricate palace banquets and sacred temple offerings to everyday common dishes, her manuscript captures a culinary world that blends precise traditional measurements—often noted in archaic Thai anthropic weight systems—with recipes that occasionally feature rare or even extinct ingredients.

Some of her recipes weave in poetry and Siamese literature, enriching the culinary instructions with cultural narratives. Her work includes recipes for curries, soups, side dishes, chili relishes, desserts, fruits, snacks, curry pastes, and even provides detailed descriptions of the bustling markets of the late 1800s along with general cooking tips

2024
Thaifoodmaster's MKHP_as_is project makes these historical recipes accessible to modern chefs by leveraging our Thai food expertise and specially trained AI models. We are converting measurements to grams while retaining the original references, bridging the gap between traditional and modern cooking methods. We are also offering an alternative narrative in the third-person present tense to make the manuscripts more accessible and engaging for today's chefs.

Articles and Recipes

lohn
Salted duck eggs and shrimp creamy lohn (หลนไข่เค็ม ; lohn khai khem)
Fresh Coconut Milk Tom Yum Soup Recipe of Grilled Banana Blossom and Chicken
(dtohm yam gathi huaa bplee yang sai gai ;
ต้มยำกะทิหัวปลีย่างใส่ไก่)
shrimp-cucumber-curry
c1889 Garee Curry with Shrimp and Cucumber (แกงกะหรี่กุ้งกับแตงกวา; gaaeng garee goong gap dtaaeng gwaa)
pork skin salad
c1889 Faux Rhino Skin Salad (ยำโขนงเนื้อเทียม หรือ ยำหนังหมู ; yam kho:h nohng neuua thiiam reuu yam nang muu)
gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน)
Gaaeng Raawn (แกงร้อน)
แกงเหลืองสายบัวปลากะพง ; Southern Thai Spicy Sour Yellow Curry with Lotus Stems and Sea Bass
Southern Thai Spicy Sour Yellow Curry with Lotus Stems and Sea Bass (แกงเหลืองสายบัวปลากะพง ; gaaeng leuuang saai buaa bplaa ga phohng)
ขนมจีนญี่ปุ่น; Khanohm jeen Yee Poon
Fermented Rice Noodles, Shrimp and Pork Appetizer Dressed with Fried Chili Jam and Peanuts
(ขนมจีนญี่ปุ่น; Khanohm jeen Yee Poon)
naam phrik roy rot
Fried fermented shrimp paste relish with green apples by Princess Jongjittanom Dissakul (น้ำพริกลูกแอปเปิ้ลผัด อย่าง หม่อมเจ้าหญิงจงจิตรถนอม ดิศกุล ; naam phrik luuk aaep bpeern phat)
picy curry of fatty chicken
c1933 Water-based spicy curry of fatty chicken and seven spices (แกงเผ็ดไก่น้ำมัน พ.ศ. 2476; gaaeng phet gai naam man)
Ancient Siamese Recipe for Tom Yum Soup with Snakehead Fish, Roasted Chili Jam and Green Mango (First Published in 1890) (Dtohm Yam Bplaa Chaawn, ต้มยำปลาช่อนแบบโบราณ อย่างหม่อมซ่มจีน ราชานุประพันธุ์ ร.ศ.๑๐๙)
An Ancient Siamese Recipe for Tom Yum Soup (First Published in 1890). Sour Spicy Tom Yum Soup with Snakehead Fish, Roasted Chili Jam and Green Mango (Dtohm Yam Bplaa Chaawn, ต้มยำปลาช่อนแบบโบราณ อย่างหม่อมซ่มจีน ราชานุประพันธุ์ ร.ศ.๑๐๙)
sarama-shrimp-curry
c1920 Sarama Shrimp Curry with White Eggplants and Lotus Stems (แกงสะระหม่ากุ้งกับมะเขือขาว และ สายบัว พ.ศ. 2463; gaaeng saramaa goong gap makheuua khaao reuu saai buaa)
Or Lam Gai Recipe - Velvety Laotian Stew of Chicken, Eggplants and Wild Pepper Vine (aw laam gai sai sakan) สูตรทำเอาะหลามไก่ใส่สะค้าน
seasoned fish sauce
18 Seasoned fish sauce condiments (น้ำปลาปรุงรส ; naam bplaap roong roht)
แกงเผ็ดลูกทุ่งภาคใต้ ; Southern Thai Curry of Pork, Three Peppers and Young Galangal
Roasted Southern Thai Curry of Pork, Three Peppers and Young Galangal (แกงเผ็ดลูกทุ่งภาคใต้ ; gaaeng phet luuk thoong phaak dtai)
grilled-banana-leaf-parcels-with-chicken-fried-rice
Grilled banana leaf parcels filled with butter-fried rice with chicken, chicken offal and dried spices, served with a sour-sweet coconut-base vegetable relish (ข้าวงบไก่ อาจาดอังวะ ; khaao ngohp gai aajaat angwa)
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Masterclasses

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Professional Guides

Siamese Chili Relishes – The Professional Chef’s Guide – น้ำพริก และ เครื่องจิ้ม

At the intersection of culinary culture and traditional lifestyles are Siamese chili relishes – probably the oldest type of Siamese food. In ancient times, relishes were essential to the diet, providing a flavorful accompaniment to rice, the staple food. Then – and today – relishes also are served alongside meats or vegetables, producing a tasty meal as well as promoting healthy nutrition. Chili relishes are an expression of ancestral Siamese culinary emotions, and the foundations of modern Thai cuisine.

In this complete companion to chili relishes, we embark on a journey to discover the origins, classifications and regional varieties of chili relishes. Along the way, we will learn about their ingredients, food pairing rules, and essential and practical preparation techniques.

This comprehensive Masterclass covers everything you need to know about preparing chili relishes creatively and authentically.

Thai Curries: The Professional Chef’s Guide

Thai Curries: The Professional Chef’s Guide – แกงไทย

In this unparalleled masterclass, we cover everything you need to know about cooking Thai curries creatively and authentically.

This no-nonsense, comprehensive, and uncensored companion masterclass on Thai curries will transform the way you perceive and execute Thai curries, and you will experience a dramatic improvement in your skills upon completing the class.

This masterclass covers Thai curries’ origins, classifications, regional varieties, curry paste composition, ingredients, spices, and color adjustments, along with essential and practical cooking techniques, and the superb flavor layering practices that master chefs use in crafting Thai curries.

Siamese salads

Thai Salads, The Professional Chef’s Guide - เรื่องยำๆ

In this inclusive masterclass, we cover everything you need to know about preparing Siamese salads creatively and authentically.

Modern-day Thai salads are often identified with a flamboyant appearance, and loud and often over-sweetened seasoning. In contrast, old-fashioned Siamese salads were gentle, soft and flavorful. In this immersive and uniquely designed masterclass, we decipher the intricacies of old-fashioned Siamese salads’ culinary codes, using Thaifoodmaster’s revolutionary visual approach to layering flavors.

While we all think we know how to toss a fantastic salad, in reality, the codes of Siamese salads remains enigmatic: This is due to the basic salad concept that dictates mixing short flavor phrases from distinctive elements in order that each element can be identified while remaining part of a harmonious new whole. Utilizing the Thaifoodmaster’s visual approach to salad design results in more positive, bright, vibrant, and coherent cooking skills, with a presentation that is not abstract but organic and containing references to nature.

This comprehensive masterclass will transform the way you perceive and prepare Thai salads – and you can anticipate a dramatic improvement in your skills after completing the class!

The art of Siamese old-school menu design

The art of Siamese old-school menu design สํารับอาหารไทย

Siamese meals are shared meals, and the dishes are served at the same time. The Siamese meal is always centered around rice; a well-crafted meal features several dishes served simultaneously. This selection of dishes is called samrub (สำรับ).

This masterclass explores the art of Siamese old-school menu design, as reflected in pre-WWII aristocratic Siamese manuscripts. The masterclass includes detailed reference materials with a large number of set menu ideas for everyday or special occasion meals, as well as a seasonal food calendar providing a year-round list of suggested ingredients based on their availability and optimal quality. We’ll discuss how to assemble a balanced daily menu spanning breakfast through lunch and afternoon snacks until dinner, with in-depth discussions on factors such as seasonal ingredients, the occasion, and one’s health.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced chef, this masterclass will provide you with eye-opening invaluable reference material, a detailed Samrub design mind map, and sixty-six practical set menu examples that you can immediately incorporate into your cooking.

Siamese Culinary Legends of the Rattanakosin period

Siamese cuisine is the accumulated wisdom of cooks at every level of the society – from housewives cooking at home and caring for their families, to cooks in the temple, to the culinary masters who created elaborate dishes behind the palace walls. In this series of short articles highlighting their lives and work, we salute and pay homage to the most prominent individuals who influenced and shaped the Siamese culinary arts bpaa ga sin (ปากะศิลป์) of the Rattanakosin Era.

These background descriptions will put into perspective the dishes we present and cook here on Thaifoodmaster and will also help you to cook Thai dishes that taste like they have a solid bond to the culture, the land and its people.

The Spice Vault

The Spice Vault

Here you will find recipes for popular spice mixes that you can make yourself! Homemade spice blends not only taste better and cost less, but you’ll also be able to create unique spice blends based on your personal preferences. As a bonus, you’ll use spices with no preservatives or artificial colors!

For example, members can explore recipes for Chinese five-spice mix, masalas for khao soi and hang lay curries, homemade Thai curry powder, and a variety of the spice blends used in Northern and Muslim Thai cuisines.