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

c1933 Gaaeng Khuaa Phrik Baang Chaang (แกงคั่วพริกบางช้าง) Thai kua curry served with khanom jeen fermented rice noodles topped with pickled garlic

c1933 Khuaa Curry with Bang Chang Chilies (แกงคั่วพริกขี้หนูหรือพริกชี้ฟ้า; gaaeng khuaa phrik baang chaang): Princess Dissakul's Smoky Fish Curry Recipe

Princess Dissakul's 1933 royal Thai curry featuring secretly pounded smoked fish in rich coconut cream with Bang Chang chilies and aromatic phrik khing paste. This complex, smoky curry builds layers of earth and ember, traditionally served over khanom jeen fermented rice noodles and topped with tangy pickled garlic for a perfect balance of smoke, spice, and tang.

Salted Chinese black olive chili relish (น้ำพริกหนำเลี้ยบ; naam phrik nam liiap)

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.

Perfumed Muslim-style Curry of Fresh Chilies with Beef (แกงเขียวหวานเนื้อทรงเครื่อง; Gaaeng Khiaao Waan Neuua Sohng Khreuuang)

The Indian and Muslim cuisines present distinct approaches to using dried spices in curries, both of which influence Siamese cuisine in different ways. Indian-inspired Siamese curries spotlight chilies for their vibrant color, fragrance, flavor and heat, while spices like cumin and coriander play a supporting role. The spices complement and temper the chilies’ intensity, creating a rounded, multi-layered flavor profile; nonetheless, the chilies remain the star ingredient, gently complemented by the spices. Conversely, Muslim-influenced curries, such as massaman curry, prioritize spices over chilies. Spices like cardamom, nutmeg and mace take center stage, while the chilies provide subtle background heat rather than being the primary flavor. In these curries, the focus is on the rich, warm and complex aromas created by the blend of spices, which is a defining characteristic of many Muslim dishes. Moreover, Siamese cuisine favors using rehydrated dried chilies in curries for their depth; this depth is highly appreciated, along with the complexity, and comparatively milder heat of the rehydrated dried chilies. As well, the harsh grassy notes of fresh chilies are not favored; they’re referred to in Thai as “green rank” or “men khiaao (เหม็นเขียว)”. Muslim curries often use fresh green chilies, tempering their vibrant, grassy taste with dry spices and thus shifting the flavor from bright and fresh to more subdued and earthy tones, resulting in a dish that is perceived to be layered, despite the burst of fresh chilies.

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.

พะแนงเนื้อ อย่าง ม.ล.เติบ ชุมสาย และ ไก่ผะแนง จากตำราอาหารที่เก่าสุดในสยาม

Thaifoodmaster เราภูมิใจ ที่จะนำเสนอหนึ่งในตำรับอาหารของหม่อมซ่มจีน (พ.ศ.๒๔๓๓) เปิดตัวครั้งแรก ที่นี่ และจะได้นำเสนอตำรับอื่น ๆ ที่น่าสนใจ หรือที่ท่านไม่เคยเห็นมาก่อน ในกาลต่อไป การปรุงอาหาร โดยเฉพาะอาหารไทย เป็นศิลปะอย่างหนึ่ง ซึ่งหม่อมท่านน่าจะเป็นอีกผู้หนึ่งที่เข้าใจในความเป็นศิลปะของการปรุงอาหารไทย แม้จะเป็นอาหารอย่างที่คนในสมัยนั้นรับประทานกันทั่วไป หาใช่ตำรับที่ดูเป็นของชนชั้นสูงหรือบรรดาเจ้านายในสมัยนั้น เพราะท่านก็เป็นศิลปินด้วยเช่นกัน ศิลปะกับอาหาร ได้ผ่านการเชื่อมโยงโดยศิลปินผู้ซึ่งคนรุ่นหลังไม่รู้จัก เราจึงอยากแสดงกตเวทิตาคุณและขอบพระคุณในคุณูปการที่ท่านเจ้าของตำรับได้เริ่มบันทึกลายลักษณ์อักษรครั้งแรก ผ่านมาลัยอักษร ณ บันทึกหน้านี้ ในตำราของหม่อมซ่มจีน มีอาหารตำรับหนึ่ง เรียกว่า “ไก่ผะแนง” เป็นตำรับแบบนำไก่ทั้งตัว ผ่าอก แล้วนำไปปิ้งไฟ ทาด้วยพริกขิงผสมน้ำกะทิ ย่างจนเกือบแห้งแล้วทา ๆ จนพริกขิงจับหนาเส้นตอกหนึ่ง ท้ายสุดชะโลมน้ำกะทิที่พริกขิง ก็ถือเป็นเสร็จ รับประทานได้

น้ำตกปลาช่อน

Here is a wonderful spicy Nam Tok recipe; you may as well go for it! A crispy fried fish dressed with plenty of fresh herbs, plenty of chilies than some lime juice and fragrant ground roasted rice as a textural binder. It is an unpretentious dish, that is just about what is around and what is available; there is some sort of truth about it, which makes it so wonderful. If you are trying your first Issan style recipe, than this is the one to go for. It is not complicated to prepare and will show off beautifully the hearty and rustic flavors of Issan.

Fermented rice noodles with multi-sour aromatic chicken sauce by Lady Gleep Mahithaawn (ขนมจีนน้ำพริกไก่ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงกลีบ มหิธร พ.ศ. 2492; khanohm jeen naam phrik gai)

c1949 Fermented rice noodles with multi-sour aromatic chicken sauce by Lady Gleep Mahithaawn (ขนมจีนน้ำพริกไก่ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงกลีบ มหิธร พ.ศ. 2492; khanohm jeen naam phrik gai)

Faux Frog Salad – A Salad of Coconut Braised Chicken with Young Coconut and Chili Jam Dressing (ยำกบเทียม; yam gohp thiiam)

Faux frog salad is a rich, elegant dish featuring tender chicken braised in coconut cream and young coconut flesh with a chili-jam based dressing. Utilizing an old-fashioned salad assembly technique – the ‘mix and layer’ – this is a visually striking salad with alternating layers of reds and whites. The name of this vintage dish – Faux Frog Salad – could be a reflection of the swinging social norms in Siam during the roaring twenties, a period of significant social change; as the country sought to navigate the challenges of modernization, Siamese society was shifting its dietary preferences away from the frog, once a common, versatile and popular ingredient. Thus, through the desire for distinction, chicken, an ingredient often compared to the taste of everything, was preferable to frog.

Heritage: Issue 4, Friday, February 6, 2026

This week's folios: - ข้าวเหนียวนึ่งหน้าเนื้อ — Steamed Gelatinous Rice with Beef Topping (Jeeb Bunnak, 1945) - แกงพวงพยอม — Shorea Flower Curry (Maawm Ying Soopha, 1949) - ลูกรอกไส้ไก่ — Egg Sausage in Chicken Intestine (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ยำผิวส้มจีน — Mandarine Orange Peel Salad (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949) - แกงจืดฟักเขียวตุ๋น — Steamed Stuffed Winter Melon Clear Soup with Crab, Pork and Egg Sausage (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ยำขนุนอ่อน — Young Jackfruit Salad (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949) - แกงเป็ดสวรรค์ — Heavenly Duck Curry (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949)

Heritage 17: Issue Thursday, May 7, 2026

This week's folios: - แกงโมง (แกงชาวชลบุรี) — Gaaeng Mong (Chonburi-Style Curry) (Mrs. Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953) - แกงต้มส้มปลายี่สก — Sour Soup with Jullien's Golden Carp (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - เมี่ยงแนมปลา — Fish Miang Naem (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ขนมหัวผักกาดแปลง — Modified Turnip Cake (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - น้ำพริกซามาคารำ — Samaakaram Chili Sauce (2 Versions) (Hibrahim Haji Rocheedee Bin Dtwan, 1933) - ไข่หวาน — Sweet Egg (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - มันสำปะหลังยอหยา — Scented Cassava-Starch Diamonds in Coconut Milk (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933)

Magical Turtle Egg Dumplings (ขนมไข่เต่าวิเศษ; khanohm khai dtao wiset)

Khanohm khai dtao wiset, oval rice flour dumplings in salty coconut cream with shrimp tomalley, from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.

Green Mango Salad with Puffed Fish (ยำมะม่วงปลาฟู; yam ma muaang bplaa fuu)

Yam ma muaang bplaa fuu, green mango salad with snakehead fish grilled, air-dried, then lard-fried until puffed. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Grilled Eggplant Lohn Relish with Shrimp (หลนมะเขือเผากุ้งสด; Lohn Ma Kheuua Phao Goong Soht)

Lohn relish of grilled eggplant (หลนมะเขือเผากุ้งสด) captivates with its subtle contrasts and complex layering of flavors. Central to this dish is grilled eggplant, which is known for its inherent bitterness due to phenolic compounds like chlorogenic acid. However, this bitterness succumbs to a delightful transformation when the eggplant is simmered in coconut cream. The fats and sugars in the coconut cream effectively mask these bitter notes, resulting in a deep, satisfying savory relish that is both well-balanced and rounded. Accompanying the eggplant are roasted shallots and garnet-blushed grilled tomatoes. The grilled tomatoes not only add natural sweetness and brightness to the dish, but also contribute to its visual charm via their muted orangey reds. This color palette complements the eggplant’s earthy, slightly sweet taste, represented through rich, velvety white-green hues. The interplay of colors in the dish mirror the complexity of its flavors. The minced shrimp meat introduces a briny sweetness and a contrasting texture. The relish is seasoned to a sour-sweet leading salty to follow flavor profile, enhancing the smoky sweetness imparted by the grilled ingredients and creating a palette of flavor and color that is as attractive as it is delicious.

grilled-banana-leaf-parcels-with-chicken-fried-rice

Grilled banana leaf parcels filled with butter-fried rice with chicken, chicken offal and dried spices, served with a sour-sweet coconut-base vegetable relish (ข้าวงบไก่ อาจาดอังวะ ; khaao ngohp gai aajaat angwa)

The khaao ngohp gai (ข้าวงบไก่) recipe by Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (Princess Saisawali Phirom) evokes the flavor and aesthetics of Muslim-style cooking. First, cooked rice, chicken, and chicken offal are fried with butter and perfumed with whole spices. The buttery fried rice is wrapped in banana leaves and then grilled, forming a crispy outer crust of spiced-infused rice grains.

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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