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

Angel Visiting the Chamber: A Salad of Pomelo, Pork Skin and Shrimp with Chili Jam Dressing, circa 1920s (ยำนางฟ้าเยี่ยมห้อง; yam naang faa yiiam haawng)

The name of this dish, yam naang faa yiiam haawng (ยำนางฟ้าเยี่ยมห้อง), translates to ‘Angel Visiting the Chamber Salad’ in English. This celestial salad, which originated in the 1920s, is a playful chili jam-based salad that combines the textural gradients of pomelo, with its citrusy bursts, chewy cooked pork skin, and the sweet and slightly resilient cooked shrimp meat. The pomelo’s citrusy notes are further amplified with thinly sliced lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves sliced into hair-thin juliennes. I like to adjust the sourness and sweetness of the chili jam-based dressing based on the acidity of the pomelo. As our aim is to achieve a final sour-salty and sweet flavor profile, a sour-salty dressing is suggested if the pomelo is sweet, while a salty-sweet dressing pairs better with a sour pomelo.

Dtam Raa Khraawp Lo:hk (ตำราครอบโลก) A Cookbook Encompassing the World

Handpicked recipes from Tamra Khraawp Lo:hk (ตำราครอบโลก, 1929), an early Thai cookbook holding regional, household, palace, and foreign repertoires under one technique sequence.

Country-Style Curry (แกงบ้านนอก; gaaeng baan naawk)

Gaaeng baan naawk, a country soup of prawns, pork belly and snakehead fish built on a pounded grilled-fish base. Tamrap Sai Yaowapa, 1935.

Mild soup with prawn balls and Chinese cabbage (แกงจืดลูกชิ้นกุ้งกับผักกาดปลี; gaaeng jeuut luuk chin goong gap phak gaat bplee)

Gaaeng jeuut with steamed prawn-and-cabbage rolls in a clear shiitake broth with fried garlic, from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.

Crispy Rice - Khaao Graawp (ข้าวกรอบ อย่างหม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์)

Suan Sunandha Palace was the permanent residence of Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (HRH Princess Saisawali Phirom, พระวิมาดาเธอ หม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์), the Royal Consort to Rama V. In the kitchen of Suan Sunandha Palace, the Princess presided over a peak era of culinary innovation until her passing on June 24, 1929. Reflecting her practicality, the Princess’ recipes frequently incorporated the era’s common pantry ingredients in new and surprising combinations. For example, in her boat-embarking chili relish (น้ำพริกลงเรือ; naam phrik lohng reuua), a relish still enjoyed today, the Princess pairs fermented shrimp paste chili relish with sweet pork, crispy fried fish, salted duck eggs and hairy-fruited eggplant (maeuk) (มะอึก). Another example is her gaaeng ran juaan (แกงรัญจวน) – the Princess prepares a vibrant spicy and sour soup, fragrant with the aroma of Thai basil, from the leftovers of a stir-fried beef dish and fermented shrimp paste chili relish, which she cooked together with lemongrass, shallots and garlic. Mom Chao Sai Ladawan’s recipes, many already recreated here at Thaifoodmaster, were recorded by Princess Sadap Ladawan (เจ้าจอมหม่อมราชวงศ์สดับลดาวัลย์), a key figure in the Palace’s culinary affairs, and subsequently compiled and published by Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in a volume dedicated to seasoned rice dishes and chili relishes. In this dish called khaao graawp (ข้าวกรอบ), or “crispy rice” the Princess seasons cooked jasmine rice with chili jam, and adds four fried components, each highlighting a different element of the crispiness indicated by the dish’s name.

Mushroom-Shaped Bread Appetizer (ขนมปังดอกเห็ด; khohn ma bpang daawk het)

Mushroom-Shaped Bread Appetizer features egg-filled chicken intestines crafted to resemble mushrooms, served in a clear garlic-coriander broth. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Chicken-Stuffed Taro (ผะอบไก่เผือก; pha ohp gai pheuuak)

Pha ohp gai pheuuak: taro carved into a lidded vessel, filled with phrik khing paste, chicken, and sea crab. Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Siamese Fireback Chicken (ไก่พระยาลอ; gai phra yaa laaw)

Siamese Fireback Chicken, a deboned whole chicken stuffed with aromatic phrik khing (พริกขิง) paste and mung beans. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 royal Thai cookbook.

Gaaeng Jao Dtao – An Aristocratic Sour Curry of Catfish with Young Tamarind Leaves, Fingerroot and Lemon Basil, with a Rustic Flare (แกงเจ้าเต่า)

ขนมลอดช่องน้ำกะทิ หรือ นกปล่อย

Thai desserts are usually made from common ingredients and therefore very popular. However, it was only during the 17th century that desserts and sweets actually became part of everyday meals. In the old days, they were served only at auspicious occasions and ceremonies.

During wedding ceremonies, for example, four kinds of sweets are usually served, collectively known as "the four plates dessert" (ขนมสี่ถ้วย ; khanohm see thuay). The ancient Thai expression "To eat four cups of dessert" (กินสี่ถ้วย ; gin see thuay ) used in the central region of the kingdom as an idiom referring to a wedding banquet.

Coconut Batter for Fried Accompaniments (แป้งชุบเครื่องทอด; bpaehng choop khreuuang thaawt)

Coconut Batter for Fried Accompaniments, a rice flour mixture kneaded with limestone solution until glossy. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai snacks and desserts.

Heritage 12: Issue Thursday, April 2, 2026

This week's folios: - ไก่ซามัน (แขก) — Chicken Saman - Indian-Style (Mrs. Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953) - แกงเปรี้ยว (แกงแขก) — Sour Curry (Indian-Style Curry) (Mrs. Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953) - แกงส้มปลาหมอกับถั่วแขก — Sour Curry of Climbing Perch with Snap Beans (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - แกงจืดลูกชิ้นปลา — Clear Soup with Fish Balls (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - บะหมี่กรกฎ — Cancer Crab Egg Noodles (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - เมี่ยงถาดทอง — Miang on Golden Trays (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ยำเล็ก — Small Salad (Ibrahim Haji Roshidin Tuan , 1933)

Method of Grilling (วิธีปิ้ง; wi thee bping)

Method of Grilling (วิธีปิ้ง): bamboo-clamped indirect charcoal grilling of fish and meat for preservation. From Tamra Khraawp Lo:hk, 1929.

Fermented soybean paste chili relish (น้ำพริกเต้าเจี้ยว; naam phrik dtao jiaao)

Spicy Curry of Single Catfish (แกงเผ็ดปลาดุกโสด; gaaeng phet bplaa dook so:ht)

Gaaeng phet bplaa dook so:ht, spicy catfish curry with snakehead fish pounded into the paste, pickled bamboo shoots, and tamarind. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

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

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It is truly brilliant with a revolutionary approach introducing aspects and concepts never broached by cookbooks.

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Sourcing Wines for Discerning Private Clients