|
 Long a backpacker haven, Chiang Mai has recently seen a surge of high end travel as luxury resorts have sprouted up in the hills outside of the city. Around 400 miles northwest of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is northern Thailand's largest city and the former capital of the Lannathai Empire. Located in a valley surrounded by lush mountains and intersected by the Ping River, Chiang Mai offers travelers the opportunity to experience northern Thai culture and activities ranging from adventure sports to tours of the city's spectacular temples.
Chiang Mai is also the home of numerous culinary schools that provide visitors the opportunity to learn to create and appreciate northern Thai cuisine. One that we can tell you about is offered by the Chiang Mai Four Seasons Hotel.
The prospect of crawling out of bed for a 6:30 am tour departure while on vacation is not generally something that most travelers seek out. Despite any misgivings about the time, the opportunity to participate in the Chiang Mai Four Seasons' pre-cooking class market tour is not to be missed. |
|
 |
|
Typical of the Four Seasons' service, the hotel's guide presents guests with citrus-scented cold towels and icy water for the half hour ride into Chiang Mai. Water buffalo lazing about are replaced by commuters whizzing by on motorbikes as the van approaches the city. The open air market is approximately the size of a football field with stalls organized by food type. The tour begins in the produce section. Tables are piled high with familiar fruits as well as the more exotic offerings for which Thailand is famous. The bright red of the rambutans and the dark purple of the delicious mangosteens contrast with the spiky brown flesh of the notorious durian. Most guests are pleased to discover that durian is not nearly as malodorous as its reputation would suggest. Vendors happily split them open, offering up the sweet stringy flesh that has a consistency similar to a soft blue cheese.
The guide shares knowledge of the local herbs and seasonings. By crushing fresh coriander leaves in your palm you can unleash the pleasant aroma so characteristic of Thai cuisine. While similar in appearance, the hot basil of Thailand has a slightly spicy taste relative to the flavor of the sweet basil that is so abundant in the States. Baskets filled with fresh ginger, tumeric, and galangal line the tables. Kaffir limes, while technically a fruit, are used as herbs and a citronella scent is released by gently rubbing their wrinkly skin.
|
|
 |
|
Landlocked and far from the ocean, it is no surprise to find only a small selection of freshwater fish. Tanks of ruby fish and large rubber bins of snakehead fish stand beneath a mesh bag filled with large frogs. Butchers pound away with cleavers at their individual stations, putting forth a selection of meat products ranging from the cuts typical of western supermarkets to a variety of offal. As you take in the sights and sounds of the market, the guide will pick up ingredients for the cooking school class as well as samples of the local fare from the prepared foods section.
The guide ushers guests past boiling pots of chicken, beef, and frog curry to arrive at a large charcoal grill covered with satays. Combining the flavors of a pork satay with warm fingerfuls of sticky rice, you can indulge in a typical Thai breakfast. Standing out from the crowd in her Four Seasons uniform, the leader moves guests along to the next stall, all the while handing out wet naps for a quick clean up from the first part of breakfast. Transitioning from savory to sweet, guests sample warm coconut pudding topped with scallions, red onion, and taro.
As a final treat, you will be offered iced tea for a little morning caffeine before returning to the van. The vendor mixes hot tea with sugar and condensed milk in a glass and pours the beverage over shaved iced in a small plastic bag. With one more dash of condensed milk, guests are handed the bags along with a plastic straw to enjoy on the return trip to the cooking school.
|
|
 |
|
Back at the Four Seasons, you are escorted to the breathtaking cooking school, set up on a hill overlooking the resort. The building itself is rectangular in shape and the two longer sides are made up of sliding glass doors which, when open, allow you to feel as though you are cooking outdoors.
The kitchen is designed with a demonstration area and individual cooking stations. After making an offering of incense during a traditional spirit house blessing, the staff and Chef introduce themselves to the assembled participants.
|
|
 |
|
Each dish is first demonstrated by the Chef before guests are let lose at their stations to attempt to create their own versions of the dish. The assistant tasked with helping each set of participants lifts two straw hats that cover the trays of prepared ingredients. As is the dream of most home cooks, everything has been washed, measured, and divided into individual containers leaving a minimal amount of chopping to perform prior to throwing the ingredients into a wok. |
|
|
Guests begin by making two soups. The first is the famous Thom Yum Kung, a spicy prawn soup with lemongrass that is widely popular throughout Thailand and in Thai restaurants around the globe. The second, Thom Yum Gai Muang, is a spicy chicken soup originating from northern Thailand. Much of the flavor is garnered from the Larb Muang spice blend which includes long pepper, Chiang Mai pepper, salt, coriander seeds, dried chilies, and deep fried galangal, shallots, and garlic. While both delicious, the soups are likely to be overshadowed by the two noodle dishes you will prepare next.
First is the ubiquitous Pad Thai Kung, a dish that exemplifies Thai cuisine with its balance of salty, sweet, spicy, and sour flavors. Within their respective woks, guests combine the salty elements of soy sauce and fish sauce alongside the sweetness of palm sugar and white sugar. Chili powder contributes the heat and the sour touch is provided by kaffir lime and tamarind juice. While it is unclear if it is the beautiful setting, the fresh local ingredients, or the balance of flavors, this Pad Thai far outshines the overly sweet versions that tend to appear on the tables of State-side Thai restaurants.
The fourth dish is Phad C Iew Moo which is stir fried rice noodles with black soy sauce and pork. A variety of vegetables, fresh flat rice noodles, an egg, and sliced pork are combined with a sauce consisting of black soy and mushroom soy sauce, white sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper to create this exceptional dish.
|
|
  |
Phad C Iew Moo
Stir-fried Noodles with Black Soy Sauce and Pork
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. Soy Bean Oil
2 cloves Chopped Garlic
1 Egg (lightly beaten with a fork or whisk)
1 cup Thinly sliced Pork
½ cup roughly chopped Broccoli
½ cup roughly chopped Pre-steamed Cauliflower
½ cup roughly chopped Pre-steamed Carrots
½ cup Pre-steamed Baby Corn
½ cup roughly chopped Kale
1 cup Fresh Wide Rice Noodles
1 tsp. Black Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Mushroom Soy Sauce
1 tsp. White Sugar
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
¼ tsp. White Pepper Powder
Preparation:
- Place wok over medium to high heat and add soy bean oil
- Add garlic and stir-fry for one minute
- Add egg and mix until it is slightly cooked (30 seconds to a minute)
- Add sliced pork and stir fry for two to three minutes
- Add all of the cut vegetables and stir fry for three minutes
- Add noodles and after 30 seconds to a minute add sauces and remove from heat
- Transfer to platter and serve
|
|
|
The soups and noodles cooking class completed, you will be directed to the outdoor dining area to enjoy the fruits of your labor. More curious guests may not be able to resist inquiring about the contents of a large glass display case including an intriguing bottle containing a cobra and scorpion. If so inclined, you have the opportunity to indulge in a Thai whiskey tasting. While most participants tend to politely decline the aforementioned bottle despite the staffs’ promises of increased virility, you might try a sip of the Power of Tiger designed to help with digestion and strength. A Thai sake is also available to be tasted in the traditional way by combining the shot with a small piece of sour dried tamarind.
Warmed by the alcohol, order an ice cold Singha beer to accompany your lunch. As you dig into the feast you have prepared, take in the view of rice patties framed by the lush greens of the mountains behind them. You will be provided with detailed recipes and participation certificates to ensure that you can recreate the Thai feast for friends and family at home. While the setting is not something that you can fit in a suitcase, all guests will feel fortunate to be able to take home more than just memories.
|
|
|
Additional Information:
The Four Seasons Chiang Mai offers classes Monday-Saturday and is available to non-guests.
Additional information is available at www.fourseasons.com/chiangmai/cooking_school/
A directory of other cooking schools specializing in northern Thai cuisine in Chiang Mai is available at: http://www.chiangmaichiangrai.com/2_restaurants_cooking_schools_chiangmai.html
|
|
|
PHOTO CREDITS: Haley and Mark LaMonica |
|
|
