Thai Cooking Classes

Thai Cooking Class

Gold Standard Thai Cooking Classes in Bangkok

Thai cuisine is a rich fusion of Southeast Asian traditional elements.  When speaking about Thai cooking it emphasizes dishes lightly prepared with strong aromatic ingredients.  Thai cuisine is better known as being spicy.  Thai food should have these four tastes: sour, sweet, salty and bitter.  A better definition of what Thai cooking is all about is that it is the expert juggling of different kinds of elements to create a good balance of all of these four tastes.  Some foreigners would consider Thai cooking as a mixture of rich flavors but to Thai chefs these meals should be complex enough to delight the senses.

The inspiration for Thai cookery comes from the four main regions of this Asian country.  From the north eastern part of Thailand comes the influence of Lao.  This focuses on the use of glutinous rice on most of the dishes.  The food is highly seasoned.  One of the most popular dishes from the Northeastern part of Thailand is Som Tam or Green Papaya Salad.  This is not your average salad since this version uses raw papaya, dried shrimps, crab, lime juice, garlic and of course the chili.  This is why this dish is spicy.  A surprising kick that you would not expect from a salad which is considered to be an appetizer and not a dish.

Another famous Northeastern dish is Nam Tok.  This is med-rare meat is barbecued cooked in spicy sauce, with fish sauce, lime juice, and dried chili.  It will definitely be spicier than the average barbecue that we usually have.  Kai Yang, or Grilled Chicken, is another popular dish from this region.  It is chicken bathed with herbs, sauce and uses sweet sour sauce as a dip.

Southern Thailand food is influence somehow by Malaysia.  The people who live in this southern part are known as impetuous.  They talk and act fast.  They also have a great zest for life which makes them exciting to communicate with.  These characteristics are carried through even in the dishes that originate in this Southern part of Thailand.  Kaeng Tai Pla is famous for its curry.  It is composed of fish kidneys and vegetables.  Kaeng Luang is a yellow curry dish which uses fish and bamboo shoots.  South Thailand dishes are influenced by Islamic traditions.  Kuai Tieo Khaek is noodles with curry while Khao Mok Kai shows the Middle Eastern influence with the use of saffron rice and marinated chicken.

To the western part of Thailand comes Bangkok influence.  Some of the famous dishes are Tom Yum Goong or Spicy Thai Soup with Shrimp.  This richly symbolizes the ultimate flavor of Thailand.  Shrimps, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, kaffir lime and other herbs boiled together are what produce the magical taste of this soup.  When you are planning to cook one, chose from the two versions of this soup.  The Tom Yum Nam Sai which is the clear version and the creamier Tom Yum Nam Kon.

The Eastern parts of Thailand are influence by Vietnam and Cambodia.  People who have tasted the green curry and chicken with basil say that this dish is to die for.  Khmer red curry which is less spicy than Thailand’s version, uses coconut milk but does not use chili.  This dish uses beef, chicken or fish, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, lemongrass and kroeung (Cambodian herb paste).  Cambodian Thai dishes are defined as earthy and aromatic flavors.  These are but some of what you can expect when you enroll on Thai Cooking classes in Bangkok.

If you are a couple you can take a romantic private cooking class for you and your spouse.  Some of those who have tried taking these classes say that one of the things that they can appreciate about such kinds of classes are that you can design your own dishes.  In this type of class it is not required that you make the dish like the original version.  This can be a signature dish that you have made inspired by the original one.  Such cooking classes come with a certificate too.  Thai cooking classes can either be in a large group or an intimate class of 2 or a small group of up to 8 people.  The Blue Elephant Cooking School in Bangkok, just to mention one, offers such a package for only $147.34 dollars.

It would be a good way to bond with your friends if you are in a group tour of Thailand.  The classes will normally start with the selection of the best ingredients and a small lecture about the different properties of each aromatic herb, spices and other key ingredients that can only be found in Thai cooking.  Some of these cooking classes might involve a visit to the wet market to buy the ingredient that you need in cooking the dishes.

If you would love to learn more you can also enroll in fruit and vegetable carving classes.  You can always inquire from your tour guide because some of them moonlight as cooking instructor as well.  You might just get a discount for availing of the tour and cooking classes.  A little bargaining will not hurt too!  For those who want to take advance classes in Thai cooking, they are also offered in Thailand as well.  Like at the Oriental Hotel Cooking School in Bangkok for only $197.01.

Some cooking schools, for professional chef training, will require you to apply for a 90 day visa extension like those offered by Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy for $3,378.90.  Some of these schools will help you arrange for the visa which may be included in the cooking class package.  If you cannot stay that long you can enroll in the 2 weeks chef course instead, which might be a little less pricey at $1,689.45 but is definitely worth every extra dollar.

Silom Thai Cooking Class in Bangkok offers a $35 class which usually covers the basics of Thai culinary cooking for a day’s cooking and costs $67 US Dollars for a private class.  No wonder, if you search the Internet, taking a Thai cooking class comes on the top 10 list of things to do when in Thailand.  This will be a unique experience, not just merely appreciating the awesome views of Bangkok Thailand.