Cooking is love made visible…and edible. Cooking, like that of our love for food and flavour combinations, should not be treated as a one time love affair. Instead, one that is lasting and ever evolving. Something that allows us to experience the world despite our lack of a formidable tour around the world.
Yes, it is through cooking that we become acquainted with the flavours of the world. From Asian to Mediterranean to Western and Middle Eastern, our palates are introduced to some of the most deliciously exotic of tastes without having the need to travel. With globalization and internet bridging the g
ap, everything is now made possible.
For a old-soul like me, I always make it a point to join a cooking class whenever I travel. Why? I believe that one of the best ways to immerse oneself in a particular culture is to learn about their traditions, food and of course, food preparations. And a recent trip to the city of ornate shrines and colorful street life is no exception. This time, my close #lokalista friends (Freah Ramos, JJ Ongkingko and Rhodalee Apa-ap) joined in the fun.
The Sompong Original Thai Cooking School is one of the many culinary schools in Bangkok that offers interactive lifestyle classes for locals and tourist who are keen to learn more about Thai cuisine. The cooking classes cored upon an ideal home style learning environment unlike that of in typical classroom settings.
Each student were given a basket with a bottle of water and fan. Their class begins with a trip to the nearby market where the students are introduced to the primary ingredients used in Thai cuisine (coconut, kafir lime and leaves, lemongrass, palm sugar, fermented shrimp and the likes). After the market tour, we were then led to their quaint school tucked just around the corner from the market.
We had our own station to work on, complete with our own apron, chopping board, knife, cookbook, hanky and ingredients. Since our class consisted of groups, we worked with our groups for all the dishes that day. Mise en place were done by their staff hence we only did most of the chopping, mixing and of course, cooking.
Cooking Thai cuisine, for me, is not easy. Specially with the myriad of ingredients you need to create their paste. However, it was not just about creating the dishes but understanding the interplay and marriage of flavours with every ingredient used.
The class lasted for five (5) hours where our teacher (Ms Preaw) gave an overview of the school and of Thai cuisine. That day, the menu focused on making homemade Paneang curry paste (num-phrik-kaeng-panaeng), Paneang Chicken Curry (panaeng-kai), Thai papaya salad (som-tam-Thai), Pad Thai (phad-thai) and golden banana in syrup (kluay-kai-chrum) for the dessert. The best part? We get to eat everything we cooked.
Cooking and learning about a particular culture has always been a personal mantra. This time, with my friends in tow, it was more than just me learning but more so, learning about my friends and their knack for cooking. Seeing them having fun was truly one of the highlights of my day.
Sompong Thai Cooking School is located at 31/11 Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand.
For class reservations, visit their website or FB fan page for inquiries.
Follow me on Instagram @iamleebai and Facebook @RoyalChefEats for my latest food finds. Happy munching!
