Article updated on January 15, 2024
Text & Photographs: Claire Lessiau & Marcella van Alphen

In the bustling Northern Thailand’s capital, Chiang Mai, culinary enthusiasts embark on a delectable adventure under the expert guidance of Oay, a seasoned Thai chef and passionate teacher. From a local market to her professional kitchen via her organic garden, the air is filled with the enticing aroma of spices, fresh produce, and the promise of a culinary experience like no other.

Market discoveries

The day begins with a leisurely stroll through a local market South of Chiang Mai. Past the large bags of rice showcasing their vast variety, fresh unfamiliar vegetables and colorful tropical fruits are randomly displayed on the market stalls, next to piles of hot chili peppers, grilled fishes and cooked toads, dry shrimps and all kinds of pastas, and coconut-based desserts.

As Oay hovers from market stall to market stall, eager to present her local ingredients, she pauses: “What do you want to cook?” she asks with her broad smile. The decision is made to craft two Thai signature dishes that consistently make it to the top 50 of the world’s best food — the renowned green curry and the iconic Pad Thai — followed by a sweet conclusion with the famous mango sticky rice. Surely, a few surprises will arise as Oay is eager to present the pride of northern Thailand, the delicious Khao Soy curry, a Thai egg noodle soup specialty.

Oay’s discerning eye navigates through the market’s stalls, selecting the freshest produce from local farmers. An encounter with crispy eggplants and a surprise introduction to century eggs adds a dash of excitement to the culinary journey. The unnaturally pink egg diffuses a strong smell of horse pee as it gets opened and its dark brown inside becomes visible. The famous century eggs which in fact are chicken eggs kept for several weeks to ferment are a true delicacy in many Asian countries.

The last few ones come straight from Oay’s small organic garden.

Behind the apron

Cuisine and culture are intertwined, and this becomes even more so apparent as the warm northern Thailand hospitality reflects with Oay’s welcome snack, the Meang Khum. It is the ideal introduction to this Thai cooking class, putting forward bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, sourness and spiciness, the essential flavor profiles of any gastronomy. Enjoying the snack is the art of balancing these elements in the palm of one’s hand, as shown by Oay, the patient mentor.

With pink aprons secured around their waists, participants find themselves in Oay’s professionally equipped outdoor kitchen. With expert guidance, they are cutting, mixing, carving, pounding, frying, and best of all, tasting while helped by Oay’s assistants to focus on the joy of cooking.

Chef Oay patiently explains the intricate secrets of Thai cuisine. Every step, from creating the signature green curry paste pounding spices, vegetables, shrimp paste and herbs, to the final plated dish, is a lesson in precision and passion.

With everyone cooking a different dish, Oay flawlessly orchestrates the symphony of cooking techniques. As the culinary creations come to life one by one, a sense of accomplishment and pride fills the air, and embodies as participants taste their dishes in awe. If having delicious food in Thailand is the norm, it is quite an accomplishment to craft these elaborate traditional recipes by oneself. Thanks to Oay’s insights also focusing on the availability of ingredients outside of Thailand (and cooking book), reproducing these dishes at home to share the best of Thai cuisine seems achievable.

The journey from market to plate is not just a lesson in cooking; it is a celebration of flavors, and culture, and the joy of sharing. Cooking, as Oay emphasizes, is the art of caring and sharing ; an art that she has learnt from her own mother, along with the excellent signature Thai recipes she passes along with a genuine warmth and Thai smile.

Travel tips:

• To book this wonderful cooking class, refer to Oay’s Instagram page: Bhum’s Thai Cookery School.
• Check out this interactive map for the specific details to help you plan your trip & more articles and phots (zoom out) about the area!
  

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