How to choose a Chiang Mai cooking course

By Isabella Badenoch

One popular activity while in Chiang Mai is to learn how to cook Thai food. There are many cooking courses on offer, ranging from one-day to week-long instruction in cooking. Most cooking classes begin with a trip to the local market, where aspiring Thai cooks can see the fresh herbs and spices first-hand. Thai cuisine is huge in range, with big regional differences, and it is a good idea to know in advance what dishes you are interested in learning how to make.

A one day Thai cooking course is great fun

Due to their popularity, cooking courses have sprung up all over Chiang Mai. However, as with any service, the buyer needs to beware. It pays to do a little bit of research to make sure you get what you want and most importantly, learn what you are interested in. One simple rule is to ensure that the course you choose gives you a book or binder with the recipes you will be making. Some ruthless courses make you buy the recipe book as an extra, which shouldn’t be the case.

If you don’t have several days to spend on a cooking course, make sure you check that the shorter cooking courses teach what you want to learn. Most people have some idea of what they want to learn to cook, with favourite dishes such as pad thai (fried noodles) or gaeng kiew wan (green curry) being popular choices.

Since most cooking courses have set weekly schedules, if you are sure about learning a specific dish, make sure it is on the schedule. Some courses also offer to teach skills such as fruit and vegetable carving or making Thai desserts, but this may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Visiting a local market to see the vegetables, herbs and spices you will be using during your class can be a fun and unique experience. Some courses simply show and provide the ingredients, but if you are interested in having a market experience, make sure your cooking school offers this option. For some courses, going to the market will be part of the day, while other courses ask students to assemble prior to the class to go to the market.

Impress your friends at home with Thai food

For many Thai dishes, the paste you use for cooking is key, such as used to make Thai curries. This means that learning to make the paste from scratch is an important aspect of Thai cooking. Some unscrupulous schools simply hand you the paste and presto, you can make your own curry. A real cooking course should teach you how to make the paste from scratch, because that is where the secrets to flavouring and spice lie.

If you are serious about cooking, then ask about the set-up of the cooking course. Will every student have their own work station or will you be sharing with someone? Will you be allowed to take home what you make? How experienced is the instructor? These are all good questions that should be asked if you want to choose the best course for you.

Last but not least, your cooking school should offer transportation. Many provide transportation from guesthouses and hotels, or will ask you to come to a specific meeting point. Transportation is not expensive in Chiang Mai and it should be provided at no extra charge.

Some well-known cooking courses in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School: founded in 1993, this school is considered to be the oldest cooking school in Chiang Mai.
Website: www.thaicookeryschool.com

Four Seasons Resort Cooking School: the cooking course at the Four Seasons Resort is the créme-de-la-créme of cooking courses in Chiang Mai. It boasts a luxurious kitchen set in a beautiful resort setting.
Website: www.fourseasons.com/chiangmai/cooking_school

Baan Thai Cookery School: is the most centrally located cooking school, right near Taphae Gate.
Website: www.cookinthai.com

Chiang Mai Kitchen Cooking School: located near Hang Dong, this cooking school offers an out-of-town cooking experience.
Website: http://chiang-mai-kitchen-cooking-school.infothai.com