Home > Thai food recipes by their origin > Aristocratic and Royal Thai Cuisines
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.
Yogurt-Based Ancient Green Curry with Chicken Offal (แกงเขียว; gaaeng khiaao)
Mrs. Yim Pichaiyat Bunnag (คุณยิ้ม พิชัยญาติ บุนนาค)'s 1920s aristocratic green curry reveals a forgotten chapter in Thai culinary history. This Muslim-style recipe uses ghee and yogurt instead of coconut milk, featuring chicken offal—liver, gizzard, and heart—each contributing distinct textures and concentrated flavors. Roasted spices like cinnamon, clove, and cardamom create warming aromatics, while fresh chilies provide signature heat. The dish documents how Bangkok's noble kitchens adapted Islamic cooking techniques before democratization, preserving methods that would shape modern Thai cuisine.
Krayathip (กระยาทิพย์; gra yaa thip)
Krayathip (กระยาทิพย์; gra yaa thip)
Krayathip, spiced pork and coconut parcels wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai snacks and desserts.
naam-yaa
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.
Fish Dumplings (เกี้ยวมัสยา; giaao mat sayaa)
Fish Dumplings (เกี้ยวมัสยา; giaao mat sayaa)
Fish Dumplings (giaao mat sayaa) featuring fish-shaped wrappers with salted egg yolk eyes served in broth. From Jeeb Bunnag's royal Thai cookbook, 1945.
haaw mohk and ngohp
Haaw Mohk and Ngohp (ห่อหมก และ งบ)
green_cury_of_the_sultan
c1929 Green Curry of the Sultan (แกงเขียวหวานสุลต่าน อ่ยาง หะยี ฮิบรอเฮม และ จีบ บุนนาค พ.ศ. 2472 ; gaaeng khiaao waan soola dtaan)
Seasoned Pickled Razor Clam Relish (หอยเสียบดองปรุง; haawy siiap daawng bproong)
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.
Fermented Rice Noodles with Sweet Prawn-and-Mung-Bean Sauce (ขนมจีนน้ำพริก; khanohm jeen naam phrik)
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.
naam phrik roy rot
Fermented soybean paste chili relish (น้ำพริกเต้าเจี้ยว; naam phrik dtao jiaao)
Capital-Style Sausage (ไส้กรอกกรุง; sai graawk groong)
Capital-Style Sausage (ไส้กรอกกรุง; sai graawk groong)
Capital-Style Sausage combines crab meat and pork with cinnamon and nutmeg, smoked over sugarcane peels and coconut husks. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.
Beautiful curry แกงหงษา
"Beautiful curry" – Clear Soup of Beef and Salted, Pickled Chinese Plum (แกงหงษา ; gaaeng hohng saa)
Magical Turtle Egg Dumplings (ขนมไข่เต่าวิเศษ; khanohm khai dtao wiset)
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.
naam-yaa-jeen
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).
Fermented Soybean Paste Dipping Relish (เต้าเจี้ยวพล่า; dtao jiaao phlaa)
Fermented Soybean Paste Dipping Relish (เต้าเจี้ยวพล่า; dtao jiaao phlaa)
Dtao jiaao phlaa, fermented soybean paste relish bruised with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and tamarind. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
naam phrik roy rot
Tamarind flower chili relish inspired by Princess Jongjittanom Dissakul (น้ำพริกดอกมะขาม อย่าง หม่อมเจ้าหญิงจงจิตรถนอม ดิศกุล ; naam phrik daawk makhaam)
Duck and Cabbage Salad (ยำกระหร่ำปลีเนื้อเป็ด; yam graram bplee neuua bpet)
Duck and Cabbage Salad (ยำกระหร่ำปลีเนื้อเป็ด; yam graram bplee neuua bpet)
Duck and Cabbage Salad featuring shredded roasted duck, dried squid, and tender cabbage with a balanced sour-sweet dressing. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 manuscript.
Tom Yam of Snakehead Fish (ต้มยำปลาช่อน; dtohm yam bplaa chaawn)
Tom Yam of Snakehead Fish (ต้มยำปลาช่อน; dtohm yam bplaa chaawn)
Dtohm yam bplaa chaawn: snakehead fish in milled-rice broth, the chili jam pounded off the fire and dissolved in the bowl. Tamra Gap Khao, 1890.
Chili Relish with Pork, Shrimp and Fresh Peppercorns ; น้ำพริก พริกไทยสด
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.
น้ำพริกลงเรือต้นตำรับ ; Naam phrik lohng reuua
Naam Phrik Lohng Reuua (Boat Embarking Chili Relish), Relish of Fermented Shrimp Paste Relsih with Sweet Pork and Crispy Deep-Fried Fluffy Fish - (น้ำพริกลงเรือต้นตำรับ ; naam phrik lohng reuua)
Naam phrik lohng reuua (น้ำพริกลงเรือ) - Literally translated as “boat embarking chili relish”, this particular boat seems to have drifted a long way from port and these days, the actual dish served in Thai restaurants is far away from the original version. We want to tell you the real story behind this dish and to present you with the original version’s recipe in its true character – as if the boat is still moored at the dock.
Chicken-Stuffed Taro (ผะอบไก่เผือก; pha ohp gai pheuuak)
Chicken-Stuffed Taro (ผะอบไก่เผือก; pha ohp gai pheuuak)
Pha ohp gai pheuuak: taro carved into a lidded vessel, filled with phrik khing paste, chicken, and sea crab. Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.
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