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
www.thai-fresh.com
Short, recreational courses

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

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

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

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

Heat and Spice Cooking School
925 West Cullom Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613
773-742-2331
www.heatandspice.com
A variety of classes, each six-weeks long; 4 – 5 hours per week

Thai Cooking House
3003 NW Morning Glory Drive
Corvallis, OR 97330
www.thaicookinghouse.com
Weekend, 4-hour classes

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

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

Thai Cooking 4 You
1980 Cord Grass Trl
Woodstock, IL 60098
815-245-3702
www.thaicooking4you.com
Nine-hour through two-day courses

I Love Thai Cooking
Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen
533 Lake Washington Blvd E.
Seattle, WA 98112
206-329-4877
www.ilovethiacooking.com
Day-long courses

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

Cooking Schools in Thailand

Thai Kitchen
1012 Soi Convent Road
Silom Bangrak
Bangkok, Thailand 10500
66 02 631 1119
www.thaikitchen.com
Day-long courses, new course each day of the week

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

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

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

Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts (SITCA)
4616 Moo 3
Chaweng Beach
Thailand
66 77 413 172
www.sitca.net/thai_cooking_school
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
www.thaifarmcooking.net
One, two, and three-day courses

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

Khoa Hom
Mae Rim Road
Moo 1, T. Dowkaew A. Main Rim
Chaing Mai 50180
Thailand
66 5386 2967
www.kaohom.com
Day-long courses

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