Thai House Cookery School, Bangkok Thailand, Bangkok

The Thai House cooking school, located on the klongs (canals), is one of our favourite food experiences in Bangkok. It's a great place to learn to cook Thai food whilst experiencing traditional life along the klong.

To gain a full appreciation of the essence of Thai cuisine, a typical course at The Thai House begins with an introduction to the kitchen lay-out, the utensils, the cooking techniques, Thai food names, the selection of ingredients and basic food groups. You discover how to blend fresh herbs and spices using traditional utensils such as the mortar, pestle and the coconut grinder. You also learn about the great variety of fresh vegetables that Thailand has, some of which you are able to pick fresh from the garden. The main topics covered in the course are soups, salads, curry pastes and curried stir-fried dishes, decorative fruit and vegetable carvings and desserts.

For the 2 and 3-day courses an excursion to the local open-air market is part of the total learning experience so you'll also learn how the fresh ingredients are selected.

The cooking classes are held in an outdoor classroom in the midst of an orchard of mango, banana, papaya and coconut trees, and a kitchen garden of fresh herbs and spices used in the recipes. Lessons feature brief lectures, the preparation of ingredients, hands-on cooking demonstrations and time for discussion and enjoying the fruits of success are conducted in an open air kitchen.