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By Michael Moore
As in virtually all cultures, Thais informally pass recipes and
the art of cooking from one generation to the next. Daughters and
sometimes sons, watch mothers, grandmothers and other family members
cook at home and by observation, mimicry and "on the job training"
they learn to prepare the foods that the Thai people value and enjoy
so highly.
This method of transferring knowledge of Thai cooking works, of
course, primarily for those who are a part of Thai culture. Interested
"outsiders" might learn from a Thai friend or spouse,
but most do not have a Thai person in their kitchen to observe and
mimic. These people must gain their knowledge from media like cookbooks,
CDs, websites and television or, if they are lucky, they find a
good teacher or cooking school and start take Thai cooking lessons.
Internationally, opportunities for this kind of instruction are
limited by several factors. Competent and knowledgeable teachers
are hard to find as are the correct ingredients and properly equipped
kitchens. Obviously, in Thailand, kitchens and ingredients are no
problem but finding someone who is knowledge and a good teacher
is considerably more difficult.
Cooking Classes Offered by Bangkok Hotels and Restaurants
Several hotels in Bangkok offer cooking classes of relatively short
duration that introduce Thai cooking to hotel guests and others
who choose to enroll. Most of these classes are of short duration
and are not intended to be comprehensive. They do, however, teach
some of the basics and give students knowledge that will help them
significantly when they turn to recipes in cookbooks.
The Landmark Hotel (Tel: +66(0)2 254-0404) on Sukhumvit
Road offers cooking classes from one to five days in duration. The
lessons, which are available every day of the week from 10:30-12:30
or 14:00-16:00, feature instruction on how to prepare five different
main courses. In addition to the lessons, students receive a gift
box containing spices and herbs, a recipe book, a cooking class
apron, a certificate certifying what they have studied and a complimentary
voucher for a set meal or dinner at the hotel's Nipa Thai Restaurant.
The prices for the classes depend upon the number of students enrolling.
A one day lesson for one student, for example, is THB1,950 and THB9,000
for the five day course. If five or more people enroll, the price
of the one day class drops to THB1,300 and the five day class to
THB5,000.
For students interested in learning fruit and vegetable carving,
hands-on two hour lessons are conducted each day from 14:00-16:00
for an additional THB 450.
The Oriental Hotel (Tel: +66(0)2 659 9000) has been offering
Thai cooking lessons for several years. The instructor, Ajarn Krissanapong
Kiattisak, is a gifted teacher and uses a hands-on approach in teaching.
The programme at the hotel varies at different times of the year
so call for information. Classes are offered in a charmingly restored
villa on the Thonburi side of the river.
Bussaracum (Tel: +66(0)2 266 6312-8) one of Bangkok's best
known independent Thai restaurants, offers a half-day "Royal-Thai
Tastes of Thailand" cooking class. Each class teaches students
how to prepare an appetizer, main course and dessert. After the
lesson, there is a buffet lunch, where students can, among other
things, dine on the same dishes they helped to create. The lessons,
which take place from 10:30-12:00, are THB 1200 per person with
two participants and THB 850 per person when the attendance levels
reach ten.
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