คลังตำราอาหารสยาม
A Thaifoodmaster Preservation Project
The Siamese Recipe Archive collects and translates historical Thai culinary manuscripts—primary sources written by the cooks, noblewomen, and food professionals who shaped the cuisine of the Rattanakosin era.
These are working documents. Each manuscript records practical knowledge shaped by its moment—what was available, what the tradition demanded, what a specific cook decided under real constraints. The sources vary—palace kitchens, professional caterers, schoolteachers, cremation volumes—but each preserves how someone approached the craft, the problems they solved, the techniques they considered worth recording.
Thaifoodmaster’s digitization projects make these texts accessible to modern cooks. We preserve the original authors’ voices—their instructions, their preferences, their occasional poetry—while converting archaic measurements to grams and presenting texts in readable modern formats.
The Archive Contains
| Project Code | Thai Title | English Title | Author (Thai) | Author (English) | Year | Tradition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKHP_as_is | แม่ครัวหัวป่าก์ | Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa (MKHP) | ท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน ภาสกรวงศ์ | Lady Plean Passakornrawong | 1908 | Siamese aristocratic cuisine | Published |
| Jeeb_Bunnag | ตำรากับข้าว / สำรับรอบปี | Samrub Raawp Bpee | นางสมรรคนันทพล (จีบ บุนนาค) | Mrs. Samaknantapol (Jeeb Bunnag) | 1933 | Siamese aristocratic cuisine | In progress |
| Jeeb_Bunnag | ตำราอาหารว่าง – เครื่องน้ำชา และ เครื่องเคี้ยว หรือ กับแกล้ม | Snacks, tea nibbles, hors d’oeuvres and drinking food | นางสมรรคนันทพล (จีบ บุนนาค) | Mrs. Samaknantapol (Jeeb Bunnag) | 1954 | Siamese aristocratic cuisine | In progress |
| Hayee_Ibrahim | แม่ครัวมุสลิม | The Muslim Cook | อิบรอฮิม หะยี รอซีดีบิน ตวน | Ibrahim Haji Roshidin Tuan | 1938 | Thai-Muslim | In progress |
Every manuscript in this archive follows Thaifoodmaster’s preservation methodology:
Original voice intact. We translate what the author wrote, in the manner they wrote it. Instructions that seem unusual by modern standards remain as recorded. We do not edit for contemporary taste or convenience.
Measurements converted. Archaic Thai weight systems (chang, tamlung, baht, salueng) and volume measures (tanan, thanan yai) are converted to grams and milliliters. Original references are retained alongside conversions.
AI-assisted, human-verified. We use specially trained AI models (Jasmine, from ThaiFoodAI’s Flair and Spirit system) to process OCR and initial translation. Every document is examined before publication to ensure accuracy and cultural authenticity.
Why Primary Sources Matter
Modern Thai cookbooks interpret. Historical manuscripts record.
A 21st-century recipe for Gudee Curry (แกงกุดี) tells you how someone today thinks that dish should taste. Ibrahim Haji Roshidin Tuan’s 1938 instructions tell you how a professional Muslim caterer in Thonburi actually prepared it—the specific cuts of chicken, the ratio of ghee to coconut oil, the technique of sealing pot lids with flour paste for dum cooking.
Lady Plean Passakornrawong’s 1908 manuscript captures late-19th century Siamese cuisine before the culinary standardizations of the mid-20th century: ingredient varieties that have since disappeared, cooking vessels and fuel sources that shaped technique, market conditions that determined what was available and when.
These documents are fixed points. The soil has changed, the breeds have evolved, and jasmine-scented water no longer sits in earthenware jars. What remains are the authors’ recorded decisions—evidence of how Siamese cooks thought about flavor, technique, and presentation at specific historical moments.
About Thaifoodmaster
Thaifoodmaster was founded by Hanuman Aspler, a food scholar who has lived in Thailand since 1989 and dedicated over 30 years to researching the history, culture, and techniques of Siamese cuisine.
Our mission is to promote the understanding, preservation, and dissemination of Thailand’s culinary heritage. We treat Thai cuisine as a language with its own grammar and lyrical quality—one that can be learned, understood, and eventually spoken with fluency and personal voice.
The Siamese Recipe Archive represents our commitment to primary-source access: making the original manuscripts available to professional chefs, culinary historians, and serious food enthusiasts who want to understand Thai cuisine at its roots.
Colorized presentation. Where original manuscripts survive only in deteriorated photographs, we apply digital colorization to restore visual clarity while preserving the printing-era aesthetics of each document.
