The taste of it all

One of the reasons why so many people visit Thailand is to be able to enjoy local Thai food. And this is one of the reasons why so many of those people end up taking a Thai cooking class. Yesterday, I was one of those people and the opportunity to cook my very own Thai meal couldn’t have come at a better time.

The first thing we, aspiring chefs, did was to go to the market and get fresh ingredients for – and this cannot be said enough! – the quality of any meal is totally dependent on the quality of its components. It was at the market that we learned how important chili, basil, lemon grass and ginger are in Thai cuisine; so much so that they are actually known as “key ingredients” – the ones without which you shouldn’t bother cooking. We also learned that vegetables such as broccoli and carrots are known as “fillers” because they have no distinctive features – it is almost as if they fill the body but not the soul.

After the market, we moved on to the kitchen to prepare hot and sour prawn soup (tom yum goong, creamy style), fried noodles Thai style (pad thai sai kai), northern chicken salad (laab gai), green curry with chicken (kang khiao wan gai) and rubies in coconut milk (tub tim grob). Throughout the whole time, I was amazed by the vivid colours of the ingredients we started by washing and then handling; I was hypnotized by the fact that all the ingredients were constantly being displayed in an orderly fashion; I was enjoying not having to spend a lot of time by the stove; I was pleased by the fact that, even though all the ingredients were meticulously chopped and sliced, it was still possible to recognise each and every one of them when the cooking was done.

At the end of the day, it occurred to me that this experience was a true insight into Thai tradition and culture. If all the ingredients had such vivid colours, it is surely because, regardless of where you are in the country, you will always feel a kick of life – and the locals will help you feel alive and happy by always smiling; if all the ingredients were constantly displayed in an orderly fashion, it is due to the country’s historic relationship with the military; if not a lot of time was spent by the stove, it is because it is always so hot that you need to make sure you are as efficient as possible otherwise the heat might just become unbearable; if it was possible to recognise all the ingredients when the cooking was done, it is because, in Thailand, what you see is what you get. Thai people are simple and straightforward; they do not hide behind endless layers, which make it difficult for outsiders to understand what they have to offer. They give you what they show you – and it is up to you to take it or leave it.

All in all, I am definitely very grateful for having had the chance to taste it all. In just one day...