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

c1936 Arabian noodles – Princess Maao Thongthaem’s Siamese-Orientalist fermented rice noodles light meal (ขนมจีนอาหรับ อย่าง เม้า ทองแถม; khanohm jeen aarap)

ดอกกุยช่ายผัดตับหมู

A quick and tasty dish from the hot mouth of the dragon with only three ingredients! Flowering Chives, Pork Liver and Garlic. Flowering Chives are all year round favorites for their mild garlicky flavor, and can be purchased inexpensively at almost any Asian market. In Thailand we like to fry them with pork, pork liver or shrimp. These flowering chives are actually the unopened bud stems of garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives.

Heritage 25: Issue Saturday, August 29, 2026

This week's folios: - แกงเผ็ดปลาไหล — Spicy Swamp Eel Curry (Maawm Sohm Jeen, 1890) - แกงพะแนงน้ำเป็ดย่างกับหอมเล็ก — Phanaeng Curry of Grilled Duck Stock with Shallots (Puang Bunnak, 1931) - แกงต้มจิ๋ว — Dtohm Jiu Beef Soup (M.R. Tuang Sanitwong, 1935) - ผัดเกาเหลาบูด — Stir-Fried Gao Lao Buut (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1951) - แกงกะเพาะหมู — Pork Stomach Curry (M.R. Tuang Sanitwong, 1935) - ผัดกวางตุ้ง — Stir-Fried Mock Pakchoi with Pork and Offal (Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1951) - สะเต๊ะไก่ — Chicken Satay (M.R. Tuang Sanitwong, 1935)

Chanthabuun Rice Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวจันทบูรณ์; guay dtiaao jan tha buun)

Guay dtiaao jan tha buun, flat rice noodles topped with aromatic coconut duck sauce and crispy potato garnish. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

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.

Stir-Fried Duck or Chicken with Peas (ผัดเป็ดผัดไก่; phat bpet phat gai)

Phat bpet phat gai, duck or chicken stir-fried over caramelized soybean paste and lard, peas kept crisp. Maawm Sohm Jeen, Tamra Gap Khao, 1890.

Bite-Sized Fried Shrimp-Rice Cake Parcels Wrapped With Fresh Garnishes in Cabbage Leaves (ส้มผักสด; sohm phak soht)

Sohm phak soht: coconut-battered fried shrimp-rice cakes wrapped in Chinese cabbage with pickled ginger, peanuts, shallots, lime and bitter orange. Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

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)

The Ambassador’s House Style Rice Vermicelli in Broth (หมี่น้ำบ้านราชทูต; mee naam baan raat thuut)

The Ambassador's House Style Rice Vermicelli features crispy rice noodles in a complex sweet-sour broth with multiple proteins. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Spiced Skewers of Grilled Pork Neck and Firm Pork Fat with Fresh Pineapple (หมูปิ้งสัปปะรด; Muu Bping Sapbparoht)

Known as muu bping sapbparoht (หมูปิ้งสัปปะรด) and translated as grilled pork with pineapple, this dish showcases cubes of grilled pork meat and firm fat with fresh pineapple. The pork meat is marinated in light soy sauce and an array of dry spices, giving it earthy and slightly spicy notes. The cubes are then threaded onto skewers, interspersed with evenly sliced pieces of firm pork fat. When grilled, these pieces of pork fat introduce an additional layer of richness and juiciness to the meat. The preferred cut of choice for this dish is pork neck, a cut highly valued for its optimal ratio of lean meat to fat, culminating in a pleasingly succulent texture when grilled. In Thai cuisine, it is common practice to sprinkle grated coconut over glowing charcoal while grilling. The heat-induced combustion of aromatic fats within the coconut introduces an additional dimension of sweet, smoky richness to the dish. Meanwhile, the charring of the edges of the meat catalyzes the caramelization of its natural sugars, yielding a delightful sweetness that further enhances the smoky undertones of the meat.

ส้มตำไทยข้าวโพด

Bangkok's markets are busy from dawn until dusk, sometime even stay open when most of the city is asleep. Normally, the traffic of shoppers and crowds of office workers hurrying their way masks the busy stretch of shops and food stalls, making it difficult to pay close attention to details. Earlier this year, however, a strange silence had fallen on the city, civil unrest brought life in the city of angels to an eerie standstill, Bangkokians elected to stay home, and shops closed their doors.

Stuffed Long Eggplant (มะเขือเขียวทรงเครื่อง; ma kheuu khiaao song khreuuang)

Stuffed Long Eggplant filled with aromatic spiced meat and deep-fried in butter or ghee. From Ibrahim Haji Roshidin Tuan's Thai Muslim cookbook, 1938.

Rice Soup with Pork Meatballs (ข้าวต้มลูกชิ้นสุกร; khaao dtohm luuk chin soo gaawn)

Khaao dtohm luuk chin soo gaawn, steamed pork meatballs in rice soup with coriander root paste, served with fried crullers. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Pomelo salad with salted shrimp and a lemongrass-infused coconut cream dressing (ยำส้มโอกุ้งเค็ม ; yam sohm o:h goong khem)

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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When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
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Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.

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

Ian Westcott

Sourcing Wines for Discerning Private Clients