Riverside Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai

We signed up for the morning session, and there happened to be only two students. Teacher Lan's Chinese was very fluent. She gave us a detailed introduction to the ingredients used in traditional Thai cuisine, allowing us to gain a deep understanding of the local dietary culture. First, a driver picked us up and took us to the market to meet the instructor. The instructor introduced common seasonings in the market, such as fish sauce, coconut milk, red curry, green curry, Tom Yum soup, and so on. All of these can be bought at the market, and I actually bought some ingredients to take back! The instructor also introduced which brands of seasonings locals are accustomed to using. Next, the driver drove us to the class location, which was a small, cheerful farm 🤣 The instructor introduced the ingredients grown in the little garden one by one. We learned about these plants as we walked, picking the leaves to smell their aromas. This was also the first time I discovered that the eggplants used in Thai cuisine are not purple, but green and look just like eggs! (They turn purple as they ripen, but by then they are overripe.) After that, the cooking class began. We could choose to make red or green curry, pad thai, or pad krapow. In addition, everyone made green papaya salad and Tom Yum soup. The instructor would first explain the steps and demonstrate once, and then we would go back to our own stations to execute them. For those who usually cook, the process is not difficult. However, the most rewarding part of this course for me was the little tips Teacher Lan shared while making the dishes, such as adding lime juice to soups only after turning off the heat, or dropping the lime peel into the mixture when making the sauce for green papaya salad. We made four dishes all at once, which took about an hour. Then we carried our food into the adjacent air-conditioned room to eat. Thai milk tea and mango sticky rice were included. The venue is an open-air space with great ventilation. After the meal, the instructor took us to release a floating basket (krathong) in a branch of the Ping River behind the venue! Daytime krathongs do not have lit oil lamps; they are made of fish food. In about five minutes, fish had eaten the krathong! I think the morning session is great. With fewer students, we could hear very clearly during the market tour. And right at the hottest time of the day, we got to sit in an air-conditioned room to eat. If possible, you definitely must try Teacher Lan's cooking class! 👍🏻