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

Three Noodle Bundles (เส้นสามแซ่; sen saam saae)

Three Noodle Bundles feature rice vermicelli, Chinese egg noodles (mee sua), and glass noodles wrapped around mustard greens and bound with seasoned pork in Pumpkin Broth. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

The Earliest Printed Recipe for Papaya Som Tum (ส้มตำมะละกอ; sohm dtam ma la gaaw)

Sohm dtam ma la gaaw, the first printed Siamese recipe for som tum — a Central Thai papaya salad with dried shrimp. Tamra Khraawp Lo:hk, 1929.

มะระขี้นกเชื่อม

Our ancestors, the early humans, had to base their food selection only on their senses. Sweet was energy, umami indicated the presence of proteins and saltiness was the sign for the much needed minerals. Generally, they avoided sour taste because it represented rotten or spoiled food, and bitter was the taste tonics and remedies were made of, and yes, it is now confirmed that bitter gourds are good for you.

Shrimp Ball Soup (แกงลูกชิ้นกุ้ง; gaaeng luuk chin goong)

Gaaeng luuk chin goong, shrimp balls pounded and slapped for springy texture in clear broth with garland chrysanthemum. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Turkish Mutamba (มุ๊ตำบ๊ะเตอรกี; mu dtam ba dter ru gee)

Turkish Mutamba, a layered banana pastry infused with rose water and finished with coconut shell smoke. From Ibrahim Haji's The Muslim Cook (1938).

ยำทวาย

This recipe would probably change your perception about the term "salad", maybe because its dressing has a multi layered, curry-like personality, rather than the common sour vinaigrette-like dressing, or maybe because it takes some good few hours to prepare, somewhat longer than simply opening a bag of hydroponic greens.

This salad is the fruit of the dedication of court ladies from aristocratic households, that for centuries perfected and elaborated on the art of cooking through detailed and calculated process, to create sophisticated dishes that are not only delicious but also very healthy and visually pleasing.

These ladies made a very large commitment for small things, and they attended all their time and efforts to make minor things better and getting the small things just right.

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)

ต้มยำปลาช่อนแบบโบราณ - อย่างหม่อมซ่มจีน (ราชานุประพันธุ์) - ร.ศ.๑๐๙

ตำรับอาหารไทยแท้ที่มีมาแต่โบราณ ปัจจุบันยังคงมีอยู่ หากแต่พัฒนาไปไกลจนแทบไม่มีใครรับรู้ต้นเค้าเก่าก่อน ถ้าให้คนรุ่นปัจจุบันมาลิ้มลองตำรับแบบดั้งเดิม ก็จะมองว่าเป็นของแปลกไปเสียแล้ว ดังนั้น Thaifoodmaster คงจะต้องออกมาอธิบายถึงพัฒนาการของอาหารตำรับน้ำแกงนี้ก่อนไม่มีใครจดจำของเก่าแบบดั้งเดิมได้

kharamaa (Korma) Curry (แกงขะระหม่า; gaaeng kha ra maa)

Kharamaa (Korma) Curry, an Islamic-style Thai dish with meat braised in yogurt, saffron, and dried fruits. From Ibrahim Haji Roshidin's 1933 Islamic Cookbook.

Saa Bpia - Akha-style grilled pork laap in banana leaves (ส่าเปี๊ยะ ลาบอย่างชาวอาข่า)

Saa Bpia -Akha-style grilled pork laap in banana leaves (ส่าเปี๊ยะ ลาบอย่างชาวอาข่า)

Passion Fruit Flower Salad (ยำดอกเสาวรส; yam daawk sao wa roht)

Passion Fruit Flower Salad, a delicate mix of floral elements with shredded pork, shrimp, and toasted coconut. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.

Roasted duck curry with prunes and apples

Duck Curry with Prunes and Apples (แกงเป็ดกับพรูนและแอปเปิ้ล อย่าง ม.ล. เติบ ชุมสาย; gaaeng bpet gap phruun lae aaep bpeern)

When it comes to pairing fruits with meats in savory dishes, it’s hard to match the bold tangy-luscious combination of apples and prunes in this old-fashioned coconut-based spicy curry with braised duck. The dish is seasoned to a spicy, salty, and sour-sweet flavor profile, which is further intensified by the prunes’ subtle nectareous, savory-sweetness and the apples’ fruity, sweet-tartness. This curry is a perfect example of how fruits can complement the already complex and profound aromatic relationships between meaty-savory flavors, the curry paste’s aromatic identity, and the dish’s herbal character of Thai basil and fresh peppercorns – creating a most memorable flavor impression.

Jeeb Bunnag - The Teacher Who Preserved a Culinary Empire - A Biography of Mrs. Samaknantapol

The life of Mrs. Samaknantapol (Jeeb Bunnag) (นางสมรรคนันทพล (จีบ บุนนาค)) offers a direct view into the transmission of Thai culinary knowledge across a century of change. Her teaching, writing, and documentation preserved the structures of palace cuisine while shaping methods that could be studied and applied in classrooms throughout modern Bangkok. Her 1933 work Samrub Raawp Bpee (สำรับรอบปี) remains an unparalleled record: 365 complete Samrub, old style Siamese meal sets, arranged with precision, reflecting daily rhythms of eating that were already disappearing from common practice. Through her work, we can study not only individual dishes but also the organization of meals and the cultural reasoning that guided them. As someone who follows her teaching, I approach this story with both historical and practical attention. Her writing has informed my own study of Thai cuisine, and years of cooking from her instructions have shown me the clarity and discipline of her teaching. This account presents her life within its contexts—family, education, print culture, and the evolving society of twentieth-century Siam—while also acknowledging how her work continues to guide readers today.

Three Companions Fried Coconut Balls (ขนมสามเกลอ; kha nohm saam gluuhr)

Khanom sam kloe, palm sugar, coconut and sesame balls pressed together in threes, battered and deep-fried. From Princess Jongjittanom Dissakul, 1978.

Northern Thai-style roasted pork laap (ลาบหมูคั่ว ; laap muu khuaa)

This laap dish offers a slightly different way to use the phrik laap seasoning mix. It is added to an aromatic paste made from roasted chilies, galangal, roasted shallots, and roasted garlic. The paste is enriched with coriander seeds, makwen and laap spices mix, which introduces the desired smoke and umami intensifying elements to the dish.

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