Aristocratic and Royal Thai Cuisines Archives

Mild Soup of Barramundi and Lily Bulbs (แกงจืดปลากะพงแป๊ะฮะ; gaaeng jeuut bplaa ga phohng bpae ha)

Gaaeng jeuut with barramundi and lily bulbs soaked until petals open. Thai-Chinese clear soup from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.

Fish Miang Naem (เมี่ยงแนมปลา; miiang naaem bplaa)

Miiang naaem bplaa, grilled snakehead fish with fire-roasted galangal juice and bitter orange, served in lettuce cups. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Beef-Stuffed Potato Croquettes (มันสอดไส้; man saawt sai)

Man saawt sai, mashed potato shells encasing a minced-beef filling pounded with ginger, turmeric and coriander, fried golden. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

c1889 Garee Curry with Shrimp and Cucumber (แกงกะหรี่กุ้งกับแตงกวา; gaaeng garee goong gap dtaaeng gwaa)

In this old-fashioned coconut-based curry, orangey shrimp and bright green cucumber shine in a golden haze of curry powder, caressed by the light breeze of Indian flare. Cucumbers are used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a coolant, to offset internal heat and to resolve fevers. Thus, like a refreshing oasis in the middle of a shimmering desert, the cucumber counterbalances the chili’s internal heat energy and mellows the fragrant, earthy undertones of the spice blend in the dish.

Pork Belly Coated with Salted-Fish and Green Mango Chili Relish (น้ำพริกมะม่วง หมูเคลือบเค็ม พ.ศ. 2476; naam phrik ma muaang mu khleuuap khem)

In this dish, slices of pork belly are coated with a sticky sauce; the sauce is reduced from braising a slice of grilled salted fish with coriander roots, garlic and white peppercorns (saam gluuhr). The dish is served with a sour-leading green mango chili relish that adds tartness with fiery accents to the saltiness of the pork. The salted fish gives the pork an initial fishy aroma that, although robust, gives way to a sense of home as it merges into the sourness and fruitiness of the mango chili relish. As an ingredient commonly used in the kitchens of rice-growing communities, salted fish signifies a comforting familiarity that conveys simplicity and warmth to the table. I like to pair the salted, fishy pork with seasoned rice dishes in which sour-leading relishes are mixed with rice along with other condiments.

Siamese Fireback Chicken (ไก่พระยาลอ; gai phra yaa laaw)

Siamese Fireback Chicken, a deboned whole chicken stuffed with aromatic phrik khing (พริกขิง) paste and mung beans. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 royal Thai cookbook.

Sweet Egg (ไข่หวาน; khai waan)

Sweet Egg (khai waan): candied salted duck egg yolk encased in floral agar jelly, molded inside an eggshell. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Completed Nam Phrik - Fermented Shrimp Paste Relish Parcels with Coconut Cream (น้ำพริกผักต้มสำเร็จ; naam phrik phak dtohm sam ret)

Naam phrik phak dtohm sam ret: grilled fermented shrimp paste (kapi) relish with blanched vegetables, wrapped in cabbage parcels with coconut cream and salted duck egg yolks. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Fermented Rice Noodles with Sweet Prawn-and-Mung-Bean Sauce (ขนมจีนน้ำพริก; khanohm jeen naam phrik)

Khanohm jeen naam phrik: fermented rice noodles with pounded prawn, roasted mung bean and tamarind-coconut sauce. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.

Thai Chili Relish with Pork, Shrimp and Fresh Peppercorns (น้ำพริก พริกไทยสด ; naam phrik phrik thai soht)

Studded with small green peppercorns that burst with a mild peppery pungency, this relish is not as spicy as one might expect from a Thai chili relish - nor does the sour taste serve as a noticeable flavor pillar. Instead, a warmer and softer peppery bite, coupled with the aroma of young pepper, delivers a complex kick. The peppercorns, together with the flavorful yellow chilies, wrap the pork’s natural umami and fatty characters and enhance its natural sweetness; this sweetness, despite being placed far in the back and only appearing at the end of each bite, is nicely layered by the use of shrimp meat and palm sugar.

Heavenly Beef (เนื้อทิพย์; neuua thip)

Neuua thip, beef rump stir-fried in thick coconut milk with Indian turmeric, served on cabbage with a chili dipping sauce. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Spicy Swamp Eel Curry (แกงเผ็ดปลาไหล; gaaeng phet bplaa lai)

Gaaeng phet bplaa lai: swamp eel sliced and tossed with its own blood, simmered in a pork-lard-fried red curry paste. Maawm Sohm Jeen, 1890.

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.

Chicken and Tomato Curry (แกงไก่กับมะเขือเทศ; gaaeng gai gap ma kheuua thaeht)

Gaaeng gai gap ma kheuua thaeht: tomatoes cored and stuffed with pounded chicken neck and corn, simmered in bone stock. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Yam "Goliath Special" (ยำ "โกไลพิเศษ"; yam go:h lai phi saeht)

Yam Goliath Special: eight boiled proteins — shrimp, pork, squid — dressed with pounded coriander root and garlic. Delicious Side Dishes, 1935.

c1935 Princess Yaovabha's Sweet Chinese Sausage in Coconut Cream Soup (แกงไส้กรอกหมูแห้ง; gaaeng sai graawk muu haaeng)

A 1935 Thai palace recipe preserving Princess Yaovabha's Chinese sausage coconut curry. This ivory-colored soup features sweet goon chiang sausage in creamy coconut with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and tamarind. The dish represents a historic culinary shift when Chinese ingredients entered royal Thai kitchens, transforming from street food to palace cuisine.

Khanohm Jeen Naam Yaa (ขนมจีนน้ำยา) - Fermented Rice Noodles with Minced Fish in Aromatic Coconut Curry

In the Central Plains of the Kingdom, fermented rice noodles are inextricably linked to a dish known as naam yaa. Composed of a dense, coconut-based minced fish curry, the dish is infused with layers of salted fish and possesses the distinctive, invigorating and purifying notes of fingerroot. Typically, naam yaa is served with fresh lemon basil as the herb of choice along with an array of side dishes collectively known as meuuat khanohm jeen (เหมือดขนมจีน). These include blanched bean sprouts seasoned with a touch of turmeric for color, fresh lemon basil leaves, thinly sliced three colored chilies, and ground chili for added heat. More elaborate versions will add blanched Chinese bitter gourd slices, batter-fried young morning glory shoots, and fresh shrimp minced and fried with its tomalley in pork lard, as well as crispy-fried shallots as the finishing touch.

Relish of Fermented Fish, Grilled Catfish, Pork and Shrimp ; ปลาร้าสับทรงเครื่องสูตรสายเยาวภา

Thai Relish of Fermented Fish, Grilled Catfish, Pork and Shrimp (ปลาร้าผัดทรงเครื่องสูตรสายเยาวภา ; bplaa raa phat sohng khreuuang, suut saai yao wa phaa)

Fish fermentation consists of a simple salt-curing process: mixing or coating a whole fish, sliced fish or minced fish meat with salt and rice husks (or ground roasted rice). The mixture is then allowed to rest and ferment for few months. This fermentation process creates deep, intense umami flavor agents accompanied by a strong stench. It is only with culinary sagacity and skill that cooks are able to harness and direct these powerful flavors within the context of an appetizing dish, and to constrain the odor to an agreeable intensity.

Taro Custard (สังขยาเผือก; sang kha yaa pheuuak)

Sang kha yaa pheuuak, a steamed coconut cream custard with mold-pressed taro slices, from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.

Haaw mohk steamed savory curried fish cakes (ห่อหมกปลา ; haaw mohk bplaa)

This recipe is for a coconut-based haaw mohk featuring clown featherback fish meat (เนื้อปลากราย) and slices of firm snakehead fish (ปลาช่อน). It is a classic recipe that follows the ancient haaw mohk tradition with a contemporary accent.

ไตปลาทรงเครื่อง ; Spicy Salad of Grilled Tiger Prawns, Mackerel, Lemongrass and Aromatics with Infused Fermented Fish Innards Dressing

Spicy Salad of Grilled Tiger Prawns, Mackerel, Lemongrass and Aromatics with Infused Fermented Fish Innards Dressing (ไตปลาทรงเครื่อง ; dtai bpla sohng khreuuang)

If we could strip away the spices, the seasonings, the vegetables and the herbs from savory dishes we could uncover their naked flavor profile core. There, we would encounter a strong savory-umami, sometimes coupled with other basic elements of smoke and fat. This flavor core is, for us humans, the sought-after taste of protein; our first sip of mother’s milk, and the primal experience of burned game meat on the fire. Today we would like to highlight a powerhouse for umami creation: the fermentation process. We will focus on fermented fish innards from southern Thailand (dtai bpla ไตปลา), one of about a dozen fermented products used in the country. We will show you how chefs for the capital’s elite, as early as or, before the reign of King Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai (Rama II, 1767-1824), harnessed its wild nature and created a dish similar to what we present today - a salad with infused fermented fish innards dressing.

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