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

Rice Crackers with Sichuan Style Naa Dtang Savory Topping (น่าตั้งเสฉวน; naa dtang saeh chuaan)

Naa dtang saeh chuaan, a seafood-meat umami topping served with assorted crispy accompaniments. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai appetizers.

Alternating Colored Conch Shells (สังข์สลับสี; sang sa lap see)

Alternating Colored Conch Shells, multicolored dumplings tinted with natural dyes and shaped like conch shells. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 dessert cookbook.

Heritage: Issue 2, Tuesday, January 27, 2026

This week's folios: - ขนมจีนเขมร — khanohm jeen khamen • Khmer Rice Noodles with Fish Relish (Jeeb Bunnag, 1945) - ก๋วยเตี๋ยวจันทบูรณ์ — Chanthabuun Rice Noodles - Aromatic Coconut Duck Noodles with Crispy Potato (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวจันทบูรณ์; guay dtiaao jan tha buun) (Jeeb Bunnag, 1945) - บะหมี่พิเศษ — Special Egg Noodles - Deluxe Stir-Fried Noodles with Crab, Chicken and Pork (บะหมี่พิเศษ; ba mee phi saeht) (Jeeb Bunnag (จีบ บุนนาค; Mrs. Samakkhanatthon), 1945) - น่าตั้งเสฉวน — Rice Crackers with Sichuan Style Naa Dtang Savory Topping (Jeeb Bunnag, 1945) - กะเทียมเจียวรสสูง — Enhanced Fried Garlic with Bird's Eye Chilies and White Peppercorns (Mom Ying Supha, 1949) - ยำนางปู — Gravid Female Sea Crab and Egg Roe Salad with Dried Squid, Cucumber and Roasted Peanuts (Mom Ying Supha, 1949)

Full Moon Eggs (ไข่ดวงเดือน; khai duaang deuuan)

Full Moon Eggs, hard-boiled egg halves stuffed with ham, pork fat, and chicken, wrapped in caul fat and fried in lard. Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949.

Miang Sot (เมี่ยงซด) - Miiang Soht, circa 1928

The word ‘miang’ is often used to designate Thai hors d’oeuvre-like snacks consisting of various ingredients wrapped in leaves. To chew on a miang parcel delivers a delightful melee of flavors and textures, each triumphing over the other in a continuous transformation, creating a captivating and ever-evolving taste experience throughout the bite. Miang sot is a fermented leaves dish that appeared in a cookbook published in honor of Thao Suphatigaanapakdee (also known as Prik Sirisamphan) (ท้าวสุภัติการภักดี (ปริก ศิริสัมพันธ์)), in 1928. Titled Gap Khaao Thai (กับข้าวไทย), the book features a collection of recipes that were once prepared and served to King Chulalongkorn Rama V. The author, Sohmboon Sirisamphan (เถ้าแก่ สมบุญ ศิริสัมพันธ์) a respected elder (known as thao gaae (เถ้าแก่) in Thai), was a distinguished businessman of Chinese origins. The dish is composed of fermented tea leaves; it is perhaps the closest tea leaves wrap to the ‘miang’ style introduced to the Siamese court by Princess Dara Rasami in the late 1800s. The dish gives us a glimpse of flavor of what her household, which participated in the informal marketplace events within the palace, might have to offer. The popularity of miang in Siamese cuisine is tied to the history of two kingdoms, Siam and Lanna, and the life of one princess, Princess Dara Rasami. The daughter of King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai and the fifth consort of King Chulalongkorn, the princess was selected at the age of thirteen, in 1886, to serve as a consort to King Chulalongkorn in the Inner Palace; the decision was shaped by both political strategy and personal transition. At the time, Siam was consolidating its power and extending its influence over neighboring regions, including Lanna. As the ruler of Chiang Mai, Princess Dara Rasami’s father, Intawichayanon, viewed the move as a strategic alliance. In return, King Chulalongkorn presented him with the medal of the Order of Chula Chom Klao, which is the Siamese equivalent of a knighthood.

Kapi pla, an old-fashioned fermented shrimp paste relish (กะปิพล่า ; gabpi phlaa)

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.

หมูหวาน

หมูหวานเป็นอาหารที่นิยมเสริฟคู่กับอาหารประเภทอื่น ๆ โดยนิยมทานเป็น เครื่องเคียงกับอาหารประเภท น้ำพริก ข้าวผัดต่าง ๆ หรือ แม้กระทั่งทานแบบเดี่ยว ๆ กับข้าวเหนียวร้อน ๆ ก็อร่อยไม่น้อย

Sweet and Sour Stir-Fried Giant Female Freshwater Prawn (ผัดเปรี้ยวหวานนางกุ้ง; phat bpriaao waan naang goong)

Phat bpriaao waan naang goong, giant female freshwater prawns steamed then stir-fried with a cassava flour sweet-sour glaze. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

c1937 Shrimp and tomato curry (แกงกุ้งกับมะเขือเทศ คู่มือการครัว นางสาวฉลวย กันตวรรณี พ.ศ. 2480; gaaeng goong gap makheuua thaeht)

Stocked with a contemporary brew of umami-rich ingredients, this ancient, bright and slightly sour coconut-based shrimp and tomato curry demonstrates how simple – yet clever – flavor-layering techniques can spotlight the shrimp and the spectacular savory tomatoes over the curry background.

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.

Seasoned Pickled Razor Clam Relish (หอยเสียบดองปรุง; haawy siiap daawng bproong)

Haawy siiap daawng bproong, pickled razor clam relish seasoned with three acids—kaffir lime, lime, and tamarind. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Heritage 20: Issue Sunday, May 31, 2026

This week's folios: - แกงจืดปลากะพงแป๊ะฮะ — Mild Soup of Barramundi and Lily Bulbs (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ข้าวต้มกุ้ง — Shrimp Rice Soup (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ไก่สำเร็จ — Stuffed Whole Chicken (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ยำกระท้อน — Santol Salad (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - นกนอนรัง — Side dish - Birds Resting in the Nest (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ลิ้นระกาปรุง — Seasoned Chicken Tongue Relish (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933) - ขนมโก๋ถั่ว — Mung Bean khanohm Go (Jeeb Bunnag, 1933)

Cancer Crab Egg Noodles (บะหมี่กรกฎ; ba mee gaaw ra goht)

Ba mee gaaw ra goht, puffed deep-fried egg noodles topped with crab, shrimp, and salted duck egg yolk balls. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Fried Rice with Salted Chinese Black Olive, or Nam Phuay (ข้าวผัดลูกหนำเนี๊ยบหรือหนำพ๊วย; khaao phat luuk nam niiap reuu nam phuay)

Khao phat luk nam nieb: salted Chinese black olive, shelled and mashed fine, tossed through rice. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 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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