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

Heritage 30: Issue Friday, October 9, 2026

This week's folios: - แกงจืดกุ้งสามสี — Three-Color Prawn Clear Soup with Carrot and Mock Pakchoi (Jeeb Bunnag (Mrs. Samaknantapol / นาง สมรรคนันทพล), 1933) - ต้มเนื้อโคกับมังคุด — Beef Rump Simmered Tender in Dark Soy with Mangosteen Flesh and Seeds (Jeeb Bunnag (Mrs. Samaknantapol / นาง สมรรคนันทพล), 1933) - ต้มกะทิกุ้งตะเข็บกับกะหล่ำปลี — Deep-Sea Shrimp and Cabbage Simmered in Coconut Milk (Jeeb Bunnag (Mrs. Samaknantapol / นาง สมรรคนันทพล), 1933) - ข้าวโพดทรงโปรด — Royal Favorite Corn Soup (Jeeb Bunnag (Mrs. Samaknantapol / นาง สมรรคนันทพล), 1933) - ข้าวผัดผักสามสี — Three-Color Vegetable Fried Rice (Mrs. Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953) - เมี่ยงขนมเลไลย — Miiang Kha Nohm Laeh Lai (Mrs. Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953) - หมูหวานอย่างห้องเครื่องต้น — Royal Kitchen Sweet Pork (Puang Bunnag, 1931)

ก้อยปลานิลหลวงพระบาง

A marvelous Luang Prabang style fish salad recipe (Koi Pla), which is very easy to prepare and even though it looks simple, its flavors are complex and clever.

Fresh fish fillet is sliced into thin strips which are quick blanched in lemongrass infused boiling water - a cooking method that presenting it’s natural flavors with an uplifting citrusy notes. The white fish slices are then mixed with, deep golden brown caramelized mix of fried garlic, shallots and lemongrass, which are not just visually pleasing but also add a unique sweetness and richness to the dish.

Khaao Dtang Rice Crust Soup (แกงข้าวตัง; gaaeng khaao dtang)

Gaaeng khaao dtang, deep-fried rice crust paired with clear broth and egg-stuffed chicken intestines. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

ยำดอกขจร

The first Thai restaurant in London was opened during the 1960's by HRH Princess Jurairat Nasiriman (1910-2000) (พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าจุไรรัตนศิริมาน), the granddaughter of HRH King Mongkut (Rama IV). Princess Jurairat chose to offer this salad on the menu and named it "Salad of Thai Milkweed Flower". (Other names: Cowslip creeper, Telosma Cordata). This fresh and tasty salad is so vibrant and easy for us to enjoy, it takes in the very basic flavors, sweet, salty, hot and sour and wrap them in a creamy coat of reduced coconut cream. The milkweed flower buds retain their crunchiness and their pleasant fragrance with only a gentle and very quick blanching in sweet boiling water.

c1938 Sweet and Sour Offal in Coconut Cream Stir-Fry (วิธีผัดเปรี้ยวหวาน; wi thee phat bpriiaw waan)

Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry, a Thai-Muslim dish featuring offal cooked with curry powder and coconut cream. From Ibrahim Haji Roshidin Tuan's 1938 manuscript.

Indian-Style Pickled Vegetables (อาจาดเทศ; aa jaat the:t)

Indian-Style Pickled Vegetables preserved with a complex blend of fenugreek, cardamom, and cloves. From Ibrahim's 1938 Thai-Muslim cookbook.

ต้มแจ่วปลา

Dtom Jeaw Pla is a rustic and spicy fish soup that is far from being unsophisticated. There is something humble, genuine, and unpretentious about it, which makes you fall in love with it.

Its humble countryside charm and surfeit of tastes quickly placed it high on my personal list of favorite dishes.

The fresh essence of fish cooked to perfection melds with the earthy tones of the grilled ingredients, the eggplants, shallots, chilies and garlic. It has a heavenly silky broth with a scent of lemongrass, which is generously lifted up by a handful of fresh herbs, lemon basil, saw coriander and spring onions.

Grilled Seasoned Rice Crust (ข้าวตังปิ้งปรุง; khaao dtang bping bproong)

Khaao dtang bping bproong, rice crust grilled with garlic-lard and fish sauce, brushed on with a banana leaf. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

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.

Heavenly Maidens Floating in Crystal Syrup (ลอยแก้วสาวสวรรค์; laawy gaaeo saao sa wan)

Laawy gaaeo saao sa wan, peeled grapes and cherries in vanilla-scented crystal syrup. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 palace cookbook.

New-Style Vietnamese Crispy Khanom Beuuang Crepes (ขนมเบื้องญวนใหม่; khanom beuuang yuan mai)

Khanom beuuang yuan mai: a rice-mung bean crepe kneaded with limewater for crispness, filled with shrimp tomalley and lotus seeds. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Heritage 22: Issue Thursday, June 25, 2026

This week's folios: - แกงเผ็ดปลาดุกโสด — Spicy Curry of Catfish and Pickled Bamboo (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - น้ำพริกกุ้งสด — Fresh Shrimp Chili Relish (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ผัดฟองวิหคโสภณ — Stir-Fried Wild Duck with Salted Duck Egg Dumpling and Mustard Greens (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ผัดไก่กับข้าวโพดอ่อน — Stir-fried Chicken with Baby Corn (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - มัสยาวตาร — Matsya Avatara (The Fish Incarnation) (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ขนมไข่เต่าวิเศษ — Magical Turtle Egg Dumplings (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ขนมทองโปร่ง — Airy Golden Cake (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933)

Santol and Shrimp Curry (แกงคั่วกุ้งกับกระท้อน; gaaeng khuaa goong gap gra thaawn)

Gaaeng khuaa goong gap gra thaawn: santol double-soaked in salt water to draw out tannins, stir-fried with phrik khing paste. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Savory Meat Pastry (มุ๊ตำบะเค็ม; muu dtam ba khem)

Muu dtam ba khem, a curry-spiced meat pastry folded into squares and double-fried until golden. From Ibrahim Haji Roshidin Tuan's Muslim Cook, 1938.

“International Style” Spicy Curry (แกงเผ็ด แบบสากล; gaaeng phet baaep saa gohn)

Gaeng phet baaep saa gohn — beef pre-seared with fish sauce, curry paste bloomed in cracked coconut cream. green tomatoes or hairy-fruited eggplant (maeuk) and dual basils - Gingganok Gaanjanaaphaa, 1935.

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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