Half-Day Thai Cooking Class With Organic Ingredients

Discover the secrets of authentic Thai cuisine with a half-day cooking class in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Participants will learn to prepare classic dishes, using fresh, organic ingredients and gaining hands-on experience from start to finish. Explore the local market to select the best produce, herbs, and spices, then dive into a step-by-step cooking lesson that covers everything from papaya salad to chicken green curry. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or a curious foodie, this immersive experience promises to expand your culinary horizons and leave you with a newfound appreciation for the vibrant flavors of Thailand.

Key Points

• Hands-on cooking class in Chiang Rai that teaches authentic Thai cuisine using fresh, organic ingredients.
• Offers a comprehensive half-day experience, including a local market visit and preparation of four Thai dishes.
• Focuses on teaching essential techniques like julienning, pounding, balancing flavors, and simmering.
• Covers a range of Thai dishes, from the refreshing papaya salad to the aromatic chicken green curry.
• Provides an intimate setting with a maximum of 8 travelers and a flexible cancellation policy.

Overview of the Thai Cooking Class

This hands-on Thai cooking class offers a comprehensive half-day experience that allows participants to learn authentic Thai cuisine using fresh, organic ingredients in the charming city of Chiang Rai, Thailand.

With over 73 reviews, this class provides an immersive culinary journey where you’ll visit a local market to shop for the day’s ingredients before returning to the kitchen for a hands-on cooking lesson.

The expert instructor will guide you through the preparation of classic Thai dishes, including a refreshing papaya salad, aromatic tom yum soup, fragrant chicken green curry, and a sweet banana in coconut milk dessert.

Throughout the class, you’ll enjoy complimentary snacks, drinking water, seasonal fruits, and refreshing towels.

Authentic Thai Dishes to Learn

During this Thai cooking class, participants explore preparing a trio of authentic Thai dishes that showcase the country’s vibrant flavors and diverse culinary traditions.

First, they’ll learn to make the iconic papaya salad, a refreshing blend of shredded green papaya, tomatoes, peanuts, and a tangy, spicy dressing.

Next, they’ll dive into the aromatic tom yum soup, a quintessential Thai dish featuring a sour-spicy broth, fresh herbs, and proteins like shrimp or chicken.

For the main course, the class focuses on creating a classic chicken green curry, simmered in a rich, coconut-based sauce infused with lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime.

Completing the meal, you will learn to prepare a sweet, comforting dessert of banana in coconut milk.

Hands-on Cooking Lesson

Participants dive straight into the hands-on cooking lesson, where they’ll learn the proper techniques for preparing each Thai dish from start to finish. Under the guidance of the experienced instructor, they’ll carefully chop, slice, and pound the fresh ingredients as they assemble the papaya salad, tom yum soup, chicken green curry, and banana in coconut milk. The instructor provides step-by-step instructions and demonstrations, ensuring everyone feels confident in their culinary skills.

Dish	Key Techniques Learned
Papaya Salad	Julienning, pounding, mixing
Tom Yum Soup	Balancing flavors, garnishing
Chicken Green Curry	Curry paste preparation, simmering
Banana in Coconut Milk	Coconut milk reduction, presentation

The hands-on engagement allows participants to fully enjoy the authentic Thai cooking experience.

Market Tour for Fresh Ingredients

After the cooking lesson, the instructor leads the group on an engaging market tour to shop for the fresh ingredients used in the Thai dishes. Participants explore the vibrant local market, where they can observe the bustling energy and interact with the friendly vendors.

They’ll learn to select the best quality produce, herbs, and spices, all while seeing the local culture. The market visit provides valuable insights into Thai cuisine, allowing participants to appreciate the origins and traditions behind the flavors they’ll be recreating in the kitchen.

This hands-on experience enhances the overall understanding and enjoyment of the Thai cooking class, leaving participants with a deeper connection to the food and the place.

Starter Dishes: Papaya Salad, Tom Yum Soup

The cooking class kicks off with the preparation of two classic Thai starter dishes: a refreshing papaya salad and the beloved hot and sour tom yum soup.

The papaya salad, known as som tam, is a vibrant and flavor-packed dish made with shredded green papaya, tomatoes, peanuts, and a tangy, spicy dressing.

The tom yum soup, on the other hand, is a fragrant and invigorating concoction that features a sour and spicy broth, prawns, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and mushrooms.

As the students learn to balance the flavors and textures of these starters, they gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental building blocks of Thai cuisine:

1. Sweet
2. Sour
3. Spicy
4. Salty

Main Dish: Chicken Green Curry

For the main dish, students learn to prepare a classic chicken green curry.

They start by blending a vibrant green curry paste, made from fresh aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves.

Next, they sauté the paste with coconut milk, chicken, and an assortment of vegetables like eggplant, bamboo shoots, and basil.

The key is to simmer the curry until the flavors meld together harmoniously and the chicken becomes tender.

The instructor guides students through each step, offering tips and techniques to ensure the curry is authentic and delicious.

With the fragrant aroma of the spices and the vibrant green hue, the chicken green curry is a true highlight of the cooking class.

Dessert: Banana in Coconut Milk

Wrapping up the Thai cooking class, students move on to prepare a delightful dessert – banana in coconut milk. They’ll start by selecting ripe, sweet bananas and carefully peeling and slicing them. Next, they’ll combine coconut milk, palm sugar, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, simmering the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the flavors meld together. Finally, they’ll gently add the banana slices and let them simmer for a few minutes until the bananas are tender and the sauce has thickened.

This simple yet indulgent dessert is a perfect way to end the culinary adventure.

1. It’s a traditional and beloved Thai dessert, offering a sweet and creamy finale to the meal.
2. The use of fresh, local ingredients aligns with the class’s focus on organic and sustainable cooking.
3. Preparing the dessert involves hands-on techniques, reinforcing the practical skills learned throughout the day.
4. Enjoying the sweet, comforting flavors leaves students with a lasting impression of the vibrant Thai cuisine.

Inclusions and Logistics

Complimentary snacks, drinking water, seasonal fruits, and refreshing towels come included with the Thai cooking class, allowing participants to stay energized and hydrated throughout the hands-on experience.

The class meets at the Old Clock Tower and runs from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, giving participants ample time to learn authentic Thai dishes.

With a maximum of 8 travelers, the class offers an intimate and personalized setting.

Should plans change, the cancellation policy allows for a full refund with 24-hour notice.

From start to finish, the Thai cooking class is designed to provide a seamless and enjoyable learning experience for all.

Recap

The half-day Thai cooking class in Chiang Rai offers an immersive culinary experience. Participants learn to prepare authentic Thai dishes using fresh, organic ingredients.

They’ll explore the local market, then master key techniques during the hands-on cooking lesson.

From vibrant salads to rich curries and sweet desserts, this class provides the skills to confidently recreate Thailand’s beloved flavors at home.