Chiang Mai: Siam Rice Cooking Class

Thai food is without a doubt some of the best in the world. Spicy, creamy and full or fresh crunchy veg, I never get tired of eating it. We've been planning to do Thai cooking class since the start of the trip and found some quality, cheap courses in Chiang Mai.

Ready to cook up a storm.

We started with a trip to the market where our guide-come-chef talked us through the piles of exotic herbs, spices and unusual vegetables. Then we arrived at Siem Rice, a quiet open air kitchen just outside the center of Chiang Mai.

We selected the dishes that we wanted to cook. Our chosen menu was as follows:

Starters:

Springrolls (Steph)

Spicy Papaya Salad (Ric)

Noodles:

Pad Ki Mao (Steph)

Pad Thai (Ric)

Soup:

Hot and creamy (Steph)

Hot and sour (Ric)

Curry:

Green curry (Steph)

Penang (Ric)

Stir Fry:

Chicken and cashew (Steph)

Chicken and ginger (Ric)

Dessert:

Mango, sticky rice and coconut milk (Ric)

Pumpkin in coconut milk (Steph)

Ready to be rolled springroll.

We were lucky to be in a small group; just me and Ric and a German couple: Jan and Marcia. The four of us got on great and enjoyed a leisurely day of cooking and lots of eating. 

Tucking into soups and noodles.

What I learned was that most Thai dishes have the same base: holy basil, chili, garlic, galangal (Asian ginger) and lemon grass. You add more chili to make it spicy, coconut milk to make it creamy or lime to make it sour. 

Things got a bit heated when it came to making my noodle dish, Pad Ki Mao, which translates as 'drunken noodles'. Thanks to Jan for the video.

The day included a lesson in the classical art of carrot carving. I'm glad to have mastered this life skill, it will surely increase my employability back home...

From left: Ric's disaster, the teacher's example, my interpretation.

It was a great day and we left with bags full of leftovers for breakfast the next day. We even got a certificate proclaiming our competence and a book with all the recipes we'd made.

Cost:
A full day cooking course (10am-3pm) cost 800Baht (£16) per person (should have been 900 but we got a cheeky discount). Includes: all ingredients, drinking water, tea and coffee, carrot carving, transport to and from hotel, market tour.