Thai food is one of our favorite cuisines in Southeast Asia because it’s packed with bold flavors and fresh ingredients. Thereforee, a cooking workshop is really a must on any Thailand itinerary. Recently, we had a delightful experience when joining a half-day cooking class in the charming city of Chiang Mai with Yummy Tasty Thai Cooking School. For 25 euros per person we learned all about Thai food: from navigating the bustling local markets to preparing many delicous Thai dishes. In this blog post, we will take you through our entire experience!
A Journey Through the Market
Our culinary journey began in a local market, guided by our knowledgeable chef. The market was a feast for the senses, filled with an array of vegetables, some familiar and others intriguingly new. It was fascinating to see how many of the vegetables we have back home looked different here! With our bags filled with fresh ingredients, we made our way to the cooking school, excited for the next steps.
Getting Hands-On in the Kitchen
At the cooking school, we put on our aprons and dove straight into preparing our dishes. The chef demonstrated each step, language was no barrier as we could just copy her steps. The class was designed to be hands-on, making the learning process engaging and fun.
A day before our class started we were given a list of dishes to each choose 5 from. We received instruction beforehand on the spiciness of each dish, so we knew which dishes to avoid to spare our weak european taste buds. After a difficult process of elimination, we ended up choosing the following dishes the make: Mango Sticky Rice, Tom Yum Chicken, Papaya Salad, Massaman Curry, Pad Si Ew, Pumpkin in Coconut Milk, Pad Thai, and Spring Rolls.
A Feast for the Senses
One piece of advice: skip breakfast before your class! The sheer volume of food we prepared and consumed was immense. Thankfully, the cooking school provided doggy bags, allowing us to take home the delicious leftovers.
The highlights of our culinary creations were definitely the Mango Sticky Rice, Papaya Salad, and Massaman Curry.
Understanding Thai Cooking
Besides learning how to prepare several Thai dishes, we also gained some insight and context about Thai cuisine. We learned in which ways Thai cooking differs from Western culinary traditions:
- Flavor Balance: Thai cuisine is celebrated for its harmonious blend of five fundamental flavors—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. This balance creates complex and layered taste profiles. Now we understand why Western food is sometimes described as flavorless!
- Ingredient Preparation: Ingredients in Thai dishes are often cut into larger pieces for stir-frying, preserving their texture and juiciness. This technique enhances both the flavor and the dining experience. We were so used to slice our vegetables in small pieces that the chef had to keep reminding us to stop slicing!
- Dining Etiquette: Thai meals are typically enjoyed with a fork and spoon, with the spoon being the primary utensil. Pretty convenient for all those delicious curry’s and soups!
Bringing Thai Flavors Home
We left our class with full stomachs, happy tastebuds, and a whole new appreciation for Thai cuisine. We highly recommend attending a cooking class, especially at the beginning of your trip. Making several dishes ourselves and understanding their ingredients enhanced our enjoyment of Thai food in restaurants afterward. It’s a wonderful way to learn about the diverse dishes and immerse yourself in Thai culture.
Don’t worry if you’re not an experienced cook—these classes are very beginner-friendly and a fantastic way to explore Thai cuisine and bring a piece of it with you back home. We received all the recipes via email, so we can recreate the dishes anytime we want now!
