Learn How to Cook Thai Cuisine at Culinary Schools

Thai Culinary Traditions

Thai cooking is the art of harmony. Chefs consider the five tastes: salty, sour, sweet, pungent and bitter then blend their offerings to appeal to each taste. A balanced Thai meal includes spicy food and bland food. The art of Thai cooking is not difficult to learn, it only takes an hour, or a day, or a lifetime depending on how good you want to be. From the Buddhist religion, dominant in Thailand, comes a tradition of little meat in food. Through time, more meat was added but remained bite-sized since Thai’s eat with a fork used to push food onto a spoon. Careful presentation adds to the Thai experience. Food is flavorful, interesting, colorful, and beautifully adorned with carved fruits and vegetables. Thai chefs use ginger, curry, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, shrimp paste, and peanut sauce to tease the palate and spice up each dish. The secret is in when, where, what and how much spice to use.

Thai Culinary Schooling

Short courses are the main fare of Thai cooking. In a few hours one can learn a meal. In a two-day course the basics of Thai cooking and several tasty entrees can be learned and consumed. Thai cooking is meant to be fun and instructors simply don’t get angry— another refreshing Thai tradition. Anyone, from the curious to the serious chef, who wants to learn Thai cooking, can find a course designed to meet his or her needs. There is a choice to make; find a school in the United States or travel to the source. Courses are offered around the United States, most by Thais who now live here and actively practice their culinary art. Those who opt to go to Thailand are in for a wonderful cultural experience enhanced by a culinary education that forever after will add to your quality of life. Serious Thai Cuisine aficionados might want to attend several different courses to get a broader exposure to Thai food preparation.

Thai Cooking Schools in the United States

Thai Fresh
909 West Mary Street Unit B
Austin, TX 78704
512-494-6436
thai-fresh.com
Short, recreational courses

Blue Ribbon Culinary Center
2501 Fairview Avenue E.
Seattle, WA 98102
blueribboncooking.com
Six-hour single classes

Supatra
967 West 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55102
651-222-5859
supatra.com
Variety of one-day classes

Sawatdee Thai Cooking School
607 Washington Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-338-6415
sawatdee.com
recreational cooking classes

Fantastic Thai
12 Reagan Street
Old Bridge, NJ 08857
732-277-5902
fantastic-thai.com
One day classes
Four day courses
Chef courses individually designed to the chef

Thai Gourmet House
8313 East Monterosa Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
408-947-1258
thaigourmethouse.com
Recreational classes

Culinary Center of Monterey
Creative Thai Cooking
625 Cannery row
Monterey, CA 93940
831-333-2133
culinarycenterofmonterey.com
One session, recreational cooking

Thai Food and Travel
Kasma Loha-umchit
P.O. Box 21165
Oakland, CA 94620
510-655-8900
thaifoodandtravel.com
Four-day beginner’s course
Eight-day advanced course
Optional travel to Thailand

Cooking Schools in Thailand

Smart Cook, Thai Cooking School
19 Moo 9 T. Aonang
A. Muang,
Krabi, Thailand 81000
075 66 1147
smartcookthailand.com
Half-day courses

The Boathouse
Kata Beach
Phuket 83110
Thailand
66 76 330 0157
boathouse-phuket.com
Day-long courses, daily variety

Chaing Mai Thai Cookery School
47/2 Moon Muang Raod
Chaing Mai 50200
Thailand
053 206 388
thaicookeryschool.com
One through five-day long courses

Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts (SITCA)
4616 Moo 3
Chaweng Beach
Thailand
66 77 413 172
sitca.net
three-hours courses
Six-day and 12-day skills proficiency courses

Thai Farm Cooking
2/2 Ratchadamnoen Road, Soi 5
Chaing Mai
Thailand
081 288 5989
thaifarmcooking.net
One, two, and three-day courses

Pat’s House
Phuket
Thailand
66 76 263 366
patshomethaicooking.com
Half-day course, with shopping excursion
Fruit carving

Gaps School of thai Culinary Arts
3 Rajadamnern Soi 4
Chaing Mai
Thailand
66 53 278 140
gaps-house.com
One and two-day courses