Online 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.

Online membership:
Masterclasses, Articles, Recipes, Daily Heritage Translations.
Professional Guides: Siamese Chili Relishes (น้ำพริก และ เครื่องจิ้ม), Thai Curries (แกงไทย), Thai Salads (เรื่องยำๆ) and The art of Siamese old-school menu design (สํารับอาหารไทย).

In-person workshops:
Chiang Mai, 2026. Limited spaces.

Masterclasses

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

Aromatic Primer for Thai Cuisine - Part 1

Curry Paste Permeability

Minced-Bird Style Curries - A Peek Into Traditional Ingredients and Cooking Methods (แกงสับนก; Gaaeng Sap Nohk)

Reflections on the Lifecycle of Heat: Mastering Vibrancy and Maturity in Green Curry (แกงเขียวหวาน)

Patterns – Decoding the Complexity of Siamese Curry Paste: A Multidimensional Exploration

Aromatic Alchemy - The Art and Science of Pounded Curry Pastes

The Story of Gaaeng Buaan (แกงบวน) – The Oldest Siamese Dish?

The Secret Healing Powers of Siamese Curries – A Closer Look at Gaaeng Yaa (แกงยา)

The Art of Siamese Duck Curries - Theory and Practice (แกงเป็ด - ศิลปะ ทฤษฎี และ การปฏิบัติ)

Articles and Recipes

Chilies in Siam - Three Genomes, Four Trade Routes, One Culinary Revolution

Walk into any Thai kitchen today, and chilies seem so fundamental to the cuisine that imagining Thai food without them feels impossible. Yet these fiery plants traveled thousands of miles from the Americas through a journey far more complex than the simple story historians have long told - these foreign fruits would ultimately transform not just flavors but the very appearance of Southeast Asian food, tinting curries red, staining relishes and painting an entire culinary tradition in shades of fire. For centuries, that story went like this: Portuguese traders brought chilies to Southeast Asia in the early 1500s, spreading them from colonial centers in Goa and Malacca throughout the region. Most Southeast Asian societies incorporated chilies within 100-200 years - a remarkably rapid transformation that fundamentally altered how billions of people eat. This narrative is true, but incomplete. New genetic evidence reveals that chilies reached Southeast Asia through multiple networks operating simultaneously: Portuguese merchants, yes, but also Islamic maritime traders, Chinese overland routes, and Indian Ocean merchant communities. Rather than following a single European pathway, chilies arrived through interconnected global trading systems that had been operating for centuries. The story of how Siam got its fire reveals something profound about how cultural exchange actually worked in the early modern world - and how modern research is overturning colonial-era assumptions about who controlled global trade.

Heritage: Issue 2, Tuesday, January 27, 2026

This week's folios: - ขนมจีนเขมร — khanohm jeen khamen • Khmer Rice Noodles with Fish Relish (Jeeb Bunnag, 1945) - ก๋วยเตี๋ยวจันทบูรณ์ — Chanthabuun Rice Noodles - Aromatic Coconut Duck Noodles with Crispy Potato (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวจันทบูรณ์; guay dtiaao jan tha buun) (Jeeb Bunnag, 1945) - บะหมี่พิเศษ — Special Egg Noodles - Deluxe Stir-Fried Noodles with Crab, Chicken and Pork (บะหมี่พิเศษ; ba mee phi saeht) (Jeeb Bunnag (จีบ บุนนาค; Mrs. Samakkhanatthon), 1945) - น่าตั้งเสฉวน — Rice Crackers with Sichuan Style Naa Dtang Savory Topping (Jeeb Bunnag, 1945) - กะเทียมเจียวรสสูง — Enhanced Fried Garlic with Bird's Eye Chilies and White Peppercorns (Mom Ying Supha, 1949) - ยำนางปู — Gravid Female Sea Crab and Egg Roe Salad with Dried Squid, Cucumber and Roasted Peanuts (Mom Ying Supha, 1949)

Minced-Bird Curry with Fish (ปลาช่อนแกงนก; Bplaa Chaawn Gaaeng Nohk)

Lady Plean Passakornrawong’s historic, first-ever recipe for minced-bird curry with snakehead fish revives the old minced-bird curry syle. The fish is minced and cooked with the curry paste, producing a hearty and comforting thick-textured curry.

Santol Salad (ยำกระท้อน; yam gra thaawn)

Yam gra thaawn, tart santol salad with pork, shrimp, and crushed peanuts. Fruit is salt-soaked and air-dried to reduce bitterness. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Offal in Broth (เครื่องในกะทะ; khreuuang nai ga tha)

Offal in Broth combines carefully cleaned organ meats in a seasoned pork bone broth. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 Thai culinary manuscript for appetizers and snacks.

Seasoned Pickled Razor Clam Relish (หอยเสียบดองปรุง; haawy siiap daawng bproong)

Haawy siiap daawng bproong, pickled razor clam relish seasoned with three acids—kaffir lime, lime, and tamarind. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

แกงต้มกะทิเนื้อโคเค็ม อย่าง จีบ บุนนาค (พ.ศ. ๒๔๘๔)

ภูมิปัญญาไทยโบราณท่านมีความอัจฉริยะล้ำเลิศ คิดปรุงตำรับอาหารที่ได้ผลออกมาอย่างลงตัว ดังที่กล่าวมาในบทก่อนหน้า วิถีไทยอาศัยการถนอมอาหารด้วยการทำเค็มหรือตากแห้ง และเมื่อจะนำมารับประทาน ความรุ่มรวยทางวัฒนธรรมการกิน บวกกับความมีศิลปะแห่งการปรุง คนสมัยก่อนสามารถรังสรรค์ของใกล้ตัว ให้ออกมาเป็นตำรับที่วิเศษได้โดยง่าย ง่ายด้วยกรรมวิธี ง่ายด้วยวัตถุดิบเครื่องปรุง ให้เป็นของอร่อยแบบไทยแท้ หนึ่งในตำรับนั้นคือ "ต้มกะทิเนื้อโคเค็ม"....

Stirred Wheat Flour Sweet (แป้งกัสรุยีกวน; bpaaeng gat sa ru yee guan)

Stirred Wheat Flour Sweet, a Muslim Thai dessert where aromatic spices and saffron are toasted before continuous stirring with flour. From Ibrahim's 1938 cookbook.

Crispy pork or sweet beef threads (หมูเค็มผัดฝอย; muu khem phat faawy)

Crispy sweet pork or beef threads (หมูเค็มผัดฝอย ; muu khem phat faawy)

This is a modern version of a classic sweet meat threads condiment that often complements chili relishes or is served as a side dish in classic Siamese samrub meals.

Heritage 27: Issue Thursday, September 17, 2026

This week's folios: - แกงสะท้อน — Santol Curry (M.R. Tuang Sanitwong, 1935) - ข้าวต้มหอยนางรม — Oyster Rice Soup (Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949) - แกงบ้านนอก — Country-Style Curry (M.R. Tuang Sanitwong, 1935) - ปูทะเลผัด — Stir-Fried Sea Crab (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1951) - ข้าวผัดลูกหนำเนี๊ยบหรือหนำพ๊วย — Fried Rice with Salted Chinese Black Olive, or Nam Phuay (Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949) - กุญซ่า — Goon Saa Lime-Cured Pork (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949) - ทอดมันมันหมูแข็ง — Battered Fried Firm Pork Fat, also called Muu Gradoht (หมูกระโดด) (Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949)

Heritage 29: Issue Tuesday, September 29, 2026

This week's folios: - แกงกุ้งสำเภา — Junk-Ship Shrimp Curry (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949) - ยำไก่ — Yam of Chicken (c. 1890) (Maawm Sohm Jeen , 1890) - ผัดปูทะเลผสม — Stir-Fried Mixed Sea Crab (M.R. Tuang Sanitwong, 1935) - ไข่ดวงเดือน — Full Moon Eggs (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949) - ปลาร้าปลาดุกข้าวคั่วปิ้ง — Grilled Catfish-and-Roasted-Rice Pla Ra Relish (Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949) - ข้าวผัดนก — Bird Fried Rice (Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949)

Chicken Krayakhu, Delicate Chicken and Crab Young Rice Porridge (ไก่กระยาคู; gai gra yaa khuu)

Chicken Krayakhu, a refined porridge combining ground young rice with chicken, crab meat and fresh ginger. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of aristocratic Thai cuisine.

Heritage: Issue 7, Thursday, February 26, 2026

This week's folios: - สุกรสามวรรณ — Side Dish: Three-Style Pork (Jeeb Bunnag , 1933) - ผะอบไก่เผือก — Chicken-Stuffed Taro (Jeeb Bunnag (Mrs. Samakkhanatthon) , 1945) - แกงคั่วกุ้งกับกระท้อน — Santol and Shrimp Khua Curry (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - แกงบะช่อเนื้อโคกะทิ — Beef Teochew Meatball and Pumpkin Coconut Curry (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ยำปลากรอบกับพริกเม็ดเล็ก — Spicy Salad with Crispy Fish and Bird's Eye Chili (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - แกงจืดเป็ดปะจิต อีกวิธี ๑ — Clear Duck Soup with Straw Mushrooms, Another Method (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - หอยเสียบดองปรุง — Seasoned Pickled Razor Clam Relish (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933)

Fresh Shrimp Curry Soup (แกงต้มกุ้งปรุงสด; gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht)

FShrimp Tom Bproong Soht Curry Soup (แกงต้มกุ้งปรุงสด; gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht)

Gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht: grilled shrimp with green mango and pickled garlic, seasoned at the bowl. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

สูตรทำไข่พะโล้หมูสามชั้นเห็ดหอม

This is an aromatic stew that leans into the sweet spectrum of the palate. An all-time Thai favorite, moo palo was introduced locally by the Chinese-Cantonese and Tae Chiew immigrants who flocked to the Kingdom in the early nineteenth century. The name of this dish originates from two Chinese words: pah ziah and lou.

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

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.

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Sourcing Wines for Discerning Private Clients