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

Three Companions Fish Salad (พล่าปลาสามเกลอ; phlaa bplaa saam gluuhr)

Phlaa bplaa saam gluuhr: three grilled fish — smoke-dried, dried, and snakeskin gourami — with a tableside herb dressing. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Royal Duck Spicy Curry (แกงเผ็ดเป็ดเสวย; gaaeng phet bpet suay)

Gaaeng phet bpet suay, duck dry-sautéed before simmering, with kaffir lime and optional nutmeg in the paste. Delicious Side Dishes, 1935.

Chuu Chee Chicken Curry (แกงฉู่ฉี่ไก่; gaaeng chuu chee gai)

Chuu Chee Chicken Curry, a rich aromatic dish simmered in thick coconut cream with lemongrass and dried chilies. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.

แกงฮังเลหมู

สูตรทำแกงฮังเลหมู - This recipe comes all the way from India through the northern Burmese border. The masala spice mix is still sold in small packages with retro looking prints that seem to forever exist. There is no way in a recipe to communicate what's going on in here; a thick red chili paste marinate, that bursts in orange turmeric color, provides the perfect seen to the tender, almost falling apart, pork meat.

Special Seasoned Glutinous Rice with Crab and Chicken (ข้าวเหนียวปรุงพิเศษ; khaao niaao bproong phi saeht)

Special Seasoned Glutinous Rice, a royal Thai palace dish featuring coconut-infused sticky rice with crab and chicken. From Jeeb Bunnag's cookbook, 1945.

ข้าวเม่าเบื้อง อย่างท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน ภาสกรวงษ์

"ข้าวเม่าเบื้อง" เป็น 1 ใน 2 ตำรับของเครื่องว่างคาว ที่ปรุงจากข้าวเม่า นอกเหนือจาก "ข้าวเม่าหมี่" และปัจจุบันนี้ไม่พบว่ามีใครทำตำรับดังกล่าวนี้เลย จะมีก็แค่ "ข้าวเม่าหมี่" ส่วน "ข้าวเม่าเบื้อง" นั้น แทบจะหายไปจากสังคมไทยเสียแล้ว ปัจจุบันคนทั่วไปจึงไม่รู้จักเครื่องว่างตำรับนี้เลย เราจึงมีความยินดีและภูมิใจนำเสนอตำรับ "ข้าวเม่าเบื้อง" เพื่อเป็นการอนุรักษ์และให้กลับมาเป็นที่รู้จักกันอีกครั้งหนึ่ง...

Naam Yaa Jeen - Fermented Rice Noodles with Chinese Sauce by HRH Prince Krom Luang Pitak Montri (น้ำยาจีน อย่างกรมหลวงพิทักษมนตรี)

Among the various curries that can be poured over khanom jeen fermented rice noodles, this broth, known as Chinese-style “naam yaa,” is unique in that it is a water-based curry that does not have chilies. As such, rather than the typical reddish-rust color of most coconut-based naam ya dishes from the Central Plains of the Kingdom, the sauce glows with a soft, light ivory hue, beautifully reflecting the dish’s natural sweet-savoriness, which is derived from slow-braising three proteins – chicken, pork and shrimp – along with a curry paste galvanized by smoke-dried fish and aromatic roots like galangal, fingerroot and sand ginger. The naam ya broth is served over a bed of fermented rice noodles and garnished with toppings such as delicate pulled chicken breast threads, golden-crispy fried shallots and garlic, and vivid green fresh coriander leaves and spring onion. All these elements add a visual grace and a hint of freshness to the robust broth – the signature dish of Prince Krom Luang Pitak Montri (กรมหลวงพิทักษ์มนตรี).

Fresh Shrimp Chili Relish (น้ำพริกกุ้งสด; naam phrik goong soht)

Naam phrik goong soht, a pounded shrimp relish with Songkhla tomalley paste, hairy eggplant, and salacca. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Chicken in Pig's Stomach (ไก่ในกะเพาะ; gai nai ga phaw)

Chicken in Pig's Stomach features minced chicken seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, stuffed into a pig's stomach and steamed with soy sauce basting. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

Guramaa Muslim Curry (แกงกุ๊ระหม่า; gaaeng gu ra maa)

Guramaa Muslim Curry, Spiced Chicken Curry with Yogurt and Potatoes

Northern Thai-style bitter buffalo laap (ลาบจิ้นควายขม; laap jin khwaai khohm)

Bitter buffalo laap with bile, cow’s gastric juice, and fresh blood. Buffalo meat is lean and often described as sweet.

Roti (โรตี; ro:h dtii)

Roti, a flaky layered wheat flatbread fried in ghee and specifically crafted for dipping in Curry Kudie. From Ibrahim Haji Roshidin Tuan's 1938 Muslim Cook.

ยำทวาย

This recipe would probably change your perception about the term "salad", maybe because its dressing has a multi layered, curry-like personality, rather than the common sour vinaigrette-like dressing, or maybe because it takes some good few hours to prepare, somewhat longer than simply opening a bag of hydroponic greens.

This salad is the fruit of the dedication of court ladies from aristocratic households, that for centuries perfected and elaborated on the art of cooking through detailed and calculated process, to create sophisticated dishes that are not only delicious but also very healthy and visually pleasing.

These ladies made a very large commitment for small things, and they attended all their time and efforts to make minor things better and getting the small things just right.

Turkish Mutamba (มุ๊ตำบ๊ะเตอรกี; mu dtam ba dter ru gee)

Turkish Mutamba, a layered banana pastry infused with rose water and finished with coconut shell smoke. From Ibrahim Haji's The Muslim Cook (1938).

Junk-Ship Shrimp Curry (แกงกุ้งสำเภา; gaaeng goong sam phao)

Gaaeng goong sam phao, a palace phrik khing curry of whole shrimp soured with chebulic myrobalan. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's Divine Dishes, 1949.

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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You will get everything you need to:

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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