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By Benjamin Malcolm
For those keen on learning a bit about the art of Thai cuisine,
the city of Chiang Mai would seem an ideal place to go. For everywhere
you look in this northern city, there seems to be a cooking school,
catering to every skill and interest level. Cooking instruction
is available all over the country, especially in the larger cities
of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket; yet Chiang Mai's strength is its
inherent charm as a smaller and yet very cosmopolitan city and reputation
for culinary education.
Thai food preparation classes have been a component of Chiang Mai's
tourism industry since 1993, when Chef Somphon Nabnian opened the
Chiang Mai Cookery School. His idea would prove to be a popular
one, as other cooking schools quickly followed suit. Many of these
schools are centred in the tourist-heavy Thapae Gate area of the
city, although most guest houses, travel agencies and restaurants
carry a connection to a gastronomic genius who is willing to impart
their own special brand of knowledge to the passer-through or long-term
resident. The Tourist Authority of Thailand lists at least 14 schools
in Chiang Mai which represents only a small portion of the total
number of culinary tutors available.
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Leading the Way
Nabnian, a former tour guide, said that the seed of the idea to
create a cooking school came from wife Elizabeth, an Englishwoman,
as they discussed their future in Thailand and the idea of doing
something different.
"We didn't want to have a business the same as anybody else.
We still wanted to be involved with the tourists that came to Chiang
Mai, but we didn't want to do tours or open a restaurant,"
he said.
Nabnian had always loved being around the kitchen from his childhood
days in the nearby province of Phayao, helping out with mealtime
preparation by mixing curry paste or preparing sticky rice, so the
idea of opening a cooking school seemed quite natural, but when
he talked about his idea with tour agents and hotels, people were
sceptical.
"In the Thai point of view, this sort of business won't work,
because they think the people who come up here want to do tours
or trekking or shopping … the majority of people thought the
idea was quite odd," he said.
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That sceptical attitude soon vanished as his business began to
flourish and in a few years, other cooking schools began following
suit. Nabnian doesn't mind the competition and believes there's
more than enough demand for everyone, but also believes in keeping
a high standard.
"We believe in what we're doing. We're also happy if other
people do their best to give their services to the people who are
interested in cooking," he said. "It should be of high
standard and also good quality. A lot of places are attached to
a guest house or a small noodle shop. That is kind of worrying.
That can affect the reputation and the standard of Thai cooking.
If they want to do it, they should do it well."
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Thai cooking is an art form, delving into the highs and lows of
sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Nabnian explained that there could
be an individual style to any dish, but that there were signature
tastes as well that had to be adhered to.
Using a curry dish as an example, he said: "The dish that comes
out is the taste that is meant to be. We can add more or less, but
the taste should be spicy, sweet and creamy. After that if you like
it spicy, you can put more curry paste in. If you want sweeter,
you can put more palm sugar in and if you want on more salty, you
can add more fish sauce. But in the end you should have these three
tastes."
Nabnian has had much success with his enterprise and is even opening
a second branch that will give more intensive instruction to those
who have already done the basic course. One of his students, a Canadian,
returned home to open a restaurant and is now in the process of
opening a second branch.
Cooking Schools
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All culinary styles are catered to in Chiang Mai's cooking schools
- depending on the day, classes often focus on northern dishes,
vegetarian and even vegetable carving. Potential customers should
feel free to peruse their options according to their desires and
choose the one that fits their agenda.
There are a few general things to be prepared for, if the urge to
cook grabs you when you enter the great northern city. Almost all
cooking schools are formatted around small groups, so individual
tutoring sessions are pretty rare, although they can be arranged.
Every course emphasizes a hands-on approach, or "learn by doing"
vs. showing approach. This almost always includes a morning market
tour, where patrons get to select vegetables and begin to understand
the intricacies of shopping for Thai food. Some schools even maintain
their own herb garden for the education of their students. Expect
to have your own stove to practice stir fries and other cooking
and a chopping block to slice and dice. Cookbooks are often included
at the end and certificates that verify your attendance and "passing"
of the course.
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Each cooking school offers similar package deals, but there are
some differences. Some emphasize a one day course, while others
offer from one to four days of classes. Many tutors offer special
lessons in vegetable and fruit carving, Northern Thai food classes
and a variety of day and evening classes to fit everyone's schedule.
The price seems to vary quite a bit, depending on the level that
one wants to pursue. The cheapest one-day courses cost 600 Baht,
while the Regent Cooking School, for those interested in instruction
from 5-star chefs only, offers courses at US$100 a day. This newer
high-end course takes place in an open-air pavilion and offers a
comprehensive demonstration of cooking traditions, including spicy
salads, desserts, fruit carving, flamb?s and vegetarian specialties.
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