I had a singular culinary experience my final night in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was staying at the Four Seasons Resort and had booked the "Chef's Table." Guests have the opportunity to be part of a group of eight having dinner at the resort's Cooking School, watching the chef prepare a variety of dishes, asking questions about the preparation, and being served a multi-course tasting meal. We were fortunate because my friend and I were the only two guests to have booked the Chef's Table that evening, and we had a totally private, incredibly informative time with the Chef.
One of the essential ingredients used in Thai cuisine is Kaffir, minced leaves of the Kaffir lime tree. While this tree grows everywhere in Thailand, fresh Kaffir leaves are not readily available in the US.The chef used a basic sauce in nearly everything he cooked, a 50-50 mixture of homemade fish stock and lime juice. This sauce, as well as the ready availability of fresh (not dried) local spices is what gives Thai food its distinctive flavor. Even the best Thai restaurant in the U.S. is going to be hard pressed to reproduce the flavors and aromas of Thailand.
Exploring the cuisines of the world is one of the very best reasons to travel. Everywhere you might choose to go, you can participate in cooking classes and even share authentic meals in the homes of local residents. Contact your travel consultant to put together the culinary adventure of your dreams!
copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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2 comments:
That is an interesting story about eating Thai food. Your interest in food travel is exciting. If you would like to seek out good street food in Bangkok that has authentic flavor and good cleanliness try the Saochingcha area, for a few pictures and information you can visit this Thai street food link too.
Funny, I had the same experience trying to get back that wonderful taste of the Thai cuisine when we returned from Thailand. While the restaurant I visited in Montclair was not bad, it was not the same! We loved all the fresh food, especially the mangoes ( even out of season, they are delicious)...The comments above about the street vendors are interesting,although we were careful NOT to eat the street food as we were warned by our guide.
Another tradition I am missing is all the graceful bowing with hands folded, a charming and gentle gesture of greeting, thanks and farewell.
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