Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.
What’s New on Thaifoodmaster
Recipe
Article
May 2023
Recipe
Article
May 2023
Recipe
Article
May 2023
Recipe
Masterclass
May 2023
Recipe
Masterclass
April 2023
Gaaeng yaa (แกงยา), which translates to “medicinal curry”, is a thick water-based dish that was advised in treating a specific group of conditions collectively referred to as grasai sickness (โรคกษัย). Its broth is based on a sharp and distinctive curry paste; drawing its profound savoriness from salted fish, the dish is thickened with grilled fish meat, while wild pepper leaf gives it a long-lasting peppery-herbal aftertaste.
In this Masterclass, we explore gaaeng yaa culinary and medicinal blending theories as reflected in historic medical documents inscribed in the early 1800s but reflecting nearly five centuries of knowledge and certainly preceding the earliest Siamese cookbooks. As well, we unearth centuries-old recipes and classical methods for combining ingredients for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
In the case of gaaeng yaa, we are offered a rare and fascinating opportunity to examine dishes through manuscripts that predate the earliest Siamese cookbooks by almost a century.
Recipe
Article
April 2023
It is in this context that yam jin gai (ยำจิ้นไก่) holds a special significance. Once a delicacy served only on special occasions, this soup-like salad has come to symbolize the enduring bond between the people of Northern Thailand and their ancestral spirits. Families pay homage to their ancestors with offerings of food, fostering a sense of unity and connection that transcends mortality and even the present; although the dish is included on the menus of many restaurants, its roots remain grounded in the spiritual landscape of the northern forests.
Recipe
Article
April 2023
Thaifoodmaster is excited to present a distinctive curry recipe called gaaeng jao dtao (แกงเจ้าเต่า), a curry with a rustic flair, a neoclassical period dish originating in the kitchen of a noble family. Gaaeng jao dtao (แกงเจ้าเต่า), a sour curry of catfish featuring young tamarind leaves, fingerroot and lemon basil, was created by Lady Gleep Mahithaawn (ท่านผู้หญิงกลีบ มหิธาวรรณ) (1876-1961) and appeared in her 1949 book Recipes for Teaching Children and Grandchildren (หนังสือกับข้าวสอนลูกหลาน).
Gaaeng jao dtao (แกงเจ้าเต่า) is a dish that showcases Lady Gleep’s appreciation for vernacular cuisine while highlighting her classical training. Unlike other aristocratic cooks, Lady Gleep was able to combine two staple dishes into one: gaaeng jao dtao (แกงเจ้าเต่า) is a unique merger of a sour curry and a water-based gaaeng aawm curry (แกงอ่อม).
Recipe
Article
March 2023
It is unclear why Mrs. Paan named this citrusy, sour, and salty seasoned rice dish after Lord Shiva, calling it “Phra Suli (พระศุลี ; phra soolee)”. Yet I believe the name of the dish is meant to evoke the elegance and delicacy of the deity rather than to reference cultural authenticity or tradition.
Recipe
Article
March 2023
The rich, dark color of the smoked duck’s skin is visually striking and appetizing, evoking a sense of indulgence and luxury. The smoky flavors that permeate the meat reflect our deep connection to primal cooking techniques, a fascinating juxtaposition to the refined presentation of the dish. When the smoked duck is sliced, its succulent pink meat is revealed, surrounding the golden filling of chestnuts and mackerel.
Recipe
Article
March 2023
Recipe
Article
March 2023
Recipe
Article
March 2023
In Thai, the phrase mee naam baan raat thuut refers to a rice vermicelli noodle soup in the style of the Ambassador’s house. The dish was not new when it appeared in the 1956 book Snacks, Tea Nibbles, Hors D’oeuvres and Drinking Food (ตำราอาหารว่าง – เครื่องน้ำชา และ เครื่องเคี้ยว หรือ กับแกล้ม) by Jeeb Bunnag (จีบ บุนนาค), as noodle dishes were often the preferred ingredient for light meals or snacks. In Grandparents Recipes: 100 Years Old Recipes (จานอร่อยจากปู่ย่า สูตรโบราณ 100 ปี), a volume printed in 2014 that highlights recipes from the kitchens of fifteen prominent families, a similar version of the dish is referred to as mee naam baan bpaak naai leert (หมี่น้ำบ้านปาร์คนายเลิศ) and is associated with Nai Lert.
Recipe
Article
February 2023
Recipe
Article
February 2023
Recipe
Article
January 2023
Recipe
Article
January 2023
From the Siamese perspective, the incorporation of fruits in culinary preparations was viewed as a luxurious indulgence, as many fruits commonly available today were once difficult to obtain. Thus the pairing of an extravagant ingredient – such as fruit – with an equally opulent and exclusive delicacy like roasted duck resulted in a dish fit for royalty.
Recipe
Article
January 2023
Recipe
Masterclass
January 2023
This masterclass presents a unique opportunity to delve into the taste awareness and culinary trends of a bygone era, and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of traditional Siamese duck curries. By studying recipes found in some of the most reputable and trustworthy Siamese cookbooks from the early 1900s and by drawing on the teachings and personal cooking style of the authors – some of the greatest culinary masters of their time – participants will gain insight into the history and flavors of these dishes. As the culinary world continues to evolve, it is important for anyone who cooks Thai food to be attentive to the broader, more nuanced aromatic patterns conveyed by these recipes, so they may cook and imbue these dishes with a sense of longing for what their creators had envisioned.
Recipe
Article
December 2022
In the 1935 book Sai Yaowapa (ตำรับสายเยาวภา), Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) reflects the Anglo-Indian style gaaeng garee in her composition of bitter orange-fragrant beef gaaeng garee, which she serves in individual bowls made of fried potatoes, per a recipe recorded by M.L. Terb Gamphu (ม.ล. เติบ กำภู) and M.R. Tuang Sanitwong (ม.ร.ว.เตื้อง สนิทวงศ์).
Recipe
Article
December 2022
Recipe
Article
December 2022
Recipe
Article
December 2022
Recipe
Masterclass
November 2022
Siamese cuisine is precise in terms of the aromatic profile of its curries, relying on complex pastes that contain a large number of aromatics, both fresh and dried. The culinary literature is rife with efforts to understand how to gauge the magical ratios for Siamese curry pastes, which are the secret behind the complexity of the curries.
Conversely, the Anglo-Indian cuisine favored dishes with a low body of heat, diluted broths, and a washed, singular aromatic profile. The curry powder condensed the entire diversity of the Indian subcontinent’s cuisine into a single blend of spices that could be stored in a bottle – a one-stop solution for the curry needs of the English. Their growing infatuation with curry powder-based curries, along with the flourishing foreign trade and the importance of Indian labor in the empire economy, resulted in the introduction of curry powder worldwide. Curry powder eventually became a timeless symbol of Anglo-Indian cuisine, much like the Taj Mahal was the symbol of undying love.
The Siamese aristocracy also hurried to embrace the curry powder; after all, it was a spice mix said to be imbued with the most authentic fragrances of Indian curries, transported directly from the civilized world.
This chapter examines the dishes created along this culinary suture line, where the two different cooking styles interact.
Recipe
Masterclass
October 2022
Recipe
Article
October 2022
Recipe
Article
October 2022
Recipe
Article
October 2022
Recipe
Masterclass
October 2022
Made to last, an old-fashioned phat phrik khing uses only common pantry ingredients and is relatively simple to prepare. Furthermore, similar to relishes and condiments, it is an adequate accompaniment for rice since it is flavorful and satisfying even in small quantities.
These characteristics – and the fact that it can be stored for many days – make phat phrik khing the perfect food for a long journey. In fact, we learn from the writings of ML Neuuang Ninrat (หม่อมหลวงเนื่อง นิลรัตน์), that the dish was an essential component in the royal travel gear, ensuring that the King and his entourage would not sacrifice a great dining experience, even while traveling.
Phat phrik khing no longer serves as a travel companion nor is it associated with royal cuisine. Instead, the dish has settled into the national food consciousness as a wet, stir-fried dish, similar to phat phrik gaaeng (ผัดพริกแกง), with slices of meat cooked in a curry sauce and yardlong beans, served in curry shops and fast-fry-to-order restaurants across the Kingdom.
This Masterclass follows the path of phat phrik khing from the era of its royal glory and explores its contemporary assimilation into stir-fries and street food.
Recipe
Article
September 2022
Recipe
Article
September 2022
Recipe
Article
September 2022
Recipe
Masterclass
September 2022
Rather, chuu chee is served in consistencies ranging from a thick, wet broth made with coconut cream to a dryer, stir-fry-like dish, in which the paste is fried in pork lard. Moreover, although fish is often the meat of choice, shrimp, chicken and pork were also popular in the past.
This Masterclass explores the path of chuu chee dishes from their first appearance in Siamese culinary literature, and investigates the dish’s narratives of aesthetics and patterns, as described by the cooks of the past.
Recipe
Article
August 2022
Recipe
Article
August 2022
Recipe
Article
August 2022
Recipe
Masterclass
August 2022
Faux turtle curry recipes are common in old Siamese food textbooks; similarly, the objective of this masterclass is not to advocate for the consumption of turtle meat but rather to resurrect this dish using substitutes, as generations of Siamese cooking masters have done in the past.
Recipe
Article
July 2022
Recipe
Article
July 2022
Recipe
Article
July 2022
Recipe
Article
July 2022
Recipe
Article
June 2022
Recipe
Article
June 2022
Recipe
Article
June 2022
Recipe
Article
June 2022
Recipe
Article
June 2022
Recipe
Article
June 2022
Masterclass
May 2022
In this complete companion to chili relishes, we embark on a journey to discover the origins, classifications and regional varieties of chili relishes. Along the way, we will learn about their ingredients, food pairing rules, and essential and practical preparation techniques.
This comprehensive Masterclass covers everything you need to know about preparing chili relishes creatively and authentically.
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
The sour element is further re-layered to a multi sour flavor profile using both lime juice and kaffir lime juice along with diced sour and sour-sweet ingredients that include green mango (มะม่วงเปรี้ยว), madan (มะดัน), salacca, hairy-fruited eggplant (มะอึก), diced green mandarin orange (ส้มเหม็น), and thin sliced of kaffir lime peels (ผิวมะกรูด).
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Recipe
Article
May 2022
Basic Cooking Skill
May 2022
The flavor intensity and consistency of the basic chili relish are adjusted according to the side dishes and vegetables being served. This relish is the prototype of all fermented shrimp paste (kapi) based relishes, which in turn are made by adding other ingredients, enabling an almost endless range of relishes.
Masterclass
April 2022
The term haaw mohk (ห่อหมก) is used today to describe steamed curried cakes; when grilling is involved, the dishes are referred to as ngohp (งบ).
This Masterclass covers grilled ngohp dishes and coconut-based steamed curried haaw mohk dishes, both ancient and modern, as well as other banana leaf-wrapped regional dishes.
When you complete this Masterclass, you will be proficient in cooking creamy – yet light and airy – steamed, savory curried cakes that reflect the country’s regional variations.
Recipe
Article
April 2022
Recipe
Article
April 2022
Recipe
Article
April 2022
Recipe
Article
April 2022
The grilled rice parcels are served alongside a small bowl of a cooling, sour-sweet coconut-vinegar relish of fresh vegetables called ajat angwa (อาจาดอังวะ).
Recipe
Article
April 2022
New Site Section
March 2022
Masterclass
March 2022
Would you be surprised if I told you that the three-flavored papaya salad is not an authentic Northeastern cuisine (Issan) dish but, rather, one that originated in the Central Plains of the Kingdom?
Furthermore, this dish was not eaten with sticky rice, but served as part of a full set meal called khaao man sohm dtam (ข้าวมันส้มตำ). The set included a spicy curry with coconut-enriched rice, a papaya salad, tamarind chili relish, crispy-sweet pork or beef threads, salted fish fried in egg batter, and other accompaniments.
This Masterclass describes the evolution of the dish and revives the first-ever documented recipe for khaao man sohm dtam, dated 1935, to its finest details, restoring its former glory.
Recipe
Article
March 2022
Recipe
Article
March 2022
Recipe
Article
March 2022
Masterclass
March 2022
This dish uses certain ingredients, such as milk and spinach, that are not usually associated with Siamese cuisine. Why did Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid use these ingredients, and how does this dish fit the Siamese taste awareness and the aristocracy’s culinary view regarding their own diet?
Follow this masterclass to learn more!
Masterclass
March 2022
This dish showcases the early Siamese cooking style rooted in Ayutthaya, and the flavors once celebrated only within the boundaries of the palace walls. At one time this dish was a favorite among the aristocracy – so beloved that King Rama II dedicated an entire verse to it in his famous Boat Poem. However, in subsequent years, this chili relish fell out of vogue and was almost forgotten.
In this Masterclass, we trace the history of the dish from its first appearance in the early 18th century and examine six recipes spanning sixty years of culinary literature, reaching from 1908 until it fell out of fashion in the late 1960s. This immersive culinary journey will culminate with Thaifoodmaster’s revival version of the dish – a version inspired by and based on suggestions and techniques gleaned from those who documented the dish over the years.
Masterclass
February 2022
In Siam, cold dishes of various acid cured or cooked meats, especially pork (หมูแนม ; muu naaem), fish (ปลาแนม ; bplaa naaem) and shrimp (กุ้งแนม ; goong naaem) were once exceedingly popular.
Masterclass
February 2022
Masterclass
February 2022
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced chef, this masterclass will provide you with eye-opening invaluable reference material, a detailed Samrub design mind-map, and sixty-six practical set menu examples that you can immediately incorporate into your cooking.
Masterclass
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
(Faux blood-bile sauce recipe is included 😀)
Laap connoisseurs consider the meat of a buffalo superior to that of a cow. Buffalo meat is leaner, less gamey, and often described as sweet. If you can’t get buffalo meat then, by all means, use beef as a substitute.
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Recipe
Article
January 2022
Basic Kitchen Skills
January 2022
Basic Kitchen Skills
January 2022
Basic Kitchen Skills
January 2022
Basic Kitchen Skills
January 2022
Live Lecture
January 2022
A fair amount of caution should be taken when navigating the historical paths of iconic Thai dishes. These dishes are almost always associated with the perception of one’s home and family; they bring up memories of our mothers’ and grandmothers’ kitchens, and they generate strong emotions about what is genuine and what is authentic.
In this talk, Hanuman describes his ongoing work of rehabilitating ancient recipes and forgotten flavors to achieve a contemporary sense of the primal taste and emotions they used to evoke.
Hanuman shares his holistic, creative, and analytical approach to cooking and will demonstrate how embracing ancient wisdom, as well as a strong respect for history, serves as a tool to explore the future of Thai cuisine.
Recipe
Basic Kitchen Skills
January 2022
Recipe
Basic Kitchen Skills
January 2022
Basic Kitchen Skills
January 2022
Masterclass
January 2022
In addition to the season and geographical region, the selection of phak gap laap was shaped by the flavor, aroma and, more important, the medicinal properties of the greens and vegetables. Phak gap laap is assembled from three main groups – aromatic herbs, sour leaves, and bitter herbs, each with its own role in the dish. The aromatics add a pleasant fragrance to counter the gamey taste of raw meat and blood, while the sours complement the taste of laap, and aid in the digestion of uncooked meat. The bitter herbs are believed to cure a wide range of ailments.
Thus, we need to gain a little more insight into Thai traditional medicine before selecting the herbs and leaves to serve with the laap, which is based on ancient wisdom and cooking techniques that have been passed down through generations.