As I sorted through pictures for this post, I was reminded just how much I miss the outdoor markets of other countries. While I enjoy the markets of large cities in the US with their gourmet cheeses and mixed greens displayed beautifully in a decorative crate, and the markets of small cities offering local honeys and eggs gathered that very morning, I still have not found a site here that excites me the way the markets of Brazil and Thailand do.
There is something about that rustic feel, the atmosphere that most foreigners would consider dirty with flip-flopped feet slapping through puddles as fish are cleaned, noodles are bagged, heart of palm is carved and coconut is shredded. There is nothing like finding yourself surrounded by fruits and vegetables that you’ve never seen before. You know they have to be good for you, but you haven’t the slightest idea how to eat them or how to cook them. It is my very favorite learning opportunity.
My experience with the market in Chiang Mai, Thailand all began when we were trying to decide what to do for my birthday which just happened to fall in the middle of our month long trip around Southeast Asia last October. Once I learned a little more about the cooking classes in the area, the decision was easy. We signed up for a class at the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School. Not just any class; it was Course 3, one that began the morning with a trip to the local market.
We were picked up from our hotel and taken to the school office where they then drove us to the market. I knew it was going to the perfect day for me as soon as we pulled up. I mean, there was a pug sitting at the market for goodness sake! Our first pug sighting of the trip!
Our guide took us to a table in the middle of the market where she began to explain the ingredients we would be using that day. It was a short session overflowing with discovery. For example, until that point we hadn’t been able to identify the flavor and smell of the Kaffir lime. Within minutes I was holding one in my hand, as well as some Thai bird, or birdseye, chiles responsible for all that heat in the curry. In addition, there was pre-made packs of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, and palm sugar.
After the explanation, we were invited to look around the market and we took off right away. It was a small market, but the variety of foods, especially those foods that I was witnessing for the first time, was incredible. There was Thai eggplant, noodles, tofu and baskets overflowing with rice. We got a nice shot of a local chef buying some ingredients for the day. I was tempted to hop on the back of the moped he was driving and find out where his restaurant was located!
As if the morning wasn’t exciting and informational enough, we left the market to begin our efforts to become experts at cooking the foods of Thailand. We were greeted with a beautiful open air kitchen and given our own cooking station. Considering how leisurely it felt when we arrived, we weren’t at all prepared for how quickly the day would progress.
This is how it went. We were led into the class room where we watched a demo of how the dish was made. We were then instructed to go back to our cooking stations where our ingredients were set out for us. There was a little chopping involved, but not much. We quickly cooked the dish. And I mean quickly – turned up the heat, threw in the oil and ingredients, cooked it up and plated it. Then the group headed over to the dining room where we ate our dishes which were usually served with rice. We didn’t eat every course as soon as we cooked it. For a few of them, we prepared two and ate both courses together.
There was a very international crowd taking the class. There were people from France, England and Australia along with a few other places that I can’t remember now. There was a major discussion about how much garlic was going into each dish. Apparently this was overwhelming for some, which led to some giggles around the room each time the guide added garlic during the demonstrations.
Another fun part of cooking Thai food was guessing how many bird chiles to use. We asked one of our guides how many chiles he would use in a single serving dish and he said six. There were some pretty loud gasps of horror across the room, but we were up for it. We added this amount to our Papaya Salad, Som Tam. It was definitely spicy, but nothing like another papaya salad we had later in our trip. That experience is a post in and of itself.
We made a total of six dishes throughout the day. All the foods below were made by me or my husband and I’ve added a little description about each. Overall, it was an incredible experience; not only to see all the foods, but to cook with them too gave me a much better understand of Thai cuisine. The simplicity of the cooking methods makes one feel guilty for every saying you don’t have time to cook, and fresh produce has never tasted better than when prepared in a Thai dish.
Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup, Tom Kha Gai, is a combination of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chiles mushrooms, coconut water and milk. This dish ties the papaya salad for my favorite.
Red Curry with Fish, Gaeng Phed Plaa, was a traditional Thai curry with Thai eggplant and bamboo shoots. We didn’t get to make the curry paste ourselves, but it was explained to us. I prefer my curry with chicken, but this was a nice change.
One of the best things about Thai cuisine is all the produce that is used. Fruits and vegetables are everywhere, in almost every dish. So of course, we made a veggie dish, Fried Mixed Mushrooms with Baby Corn, Phad Hed Ruam Khao Pod Orn. The vegetables were great, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce which combined fish, soy and oyster sauces. I’d much rather have curry.
Fried Big Noodles with Thick Sauce and Pork, Raad Nah Muu, was full of mushrooms, cauliflower and carrots. This was good, but those large, paper-thin rice noodles are interesting to cook with.
My favorite Thai dish, next to Mango Sticky Rice, is Papaya Salad, Som Tam. It combines grated green papaya with garlic, birdseye chiles, long beans, tomatoes, dried shrimp, lime, palm sugar and peanuts. It’s made with a mortar and pestle and all the delicious ingredients are slightly mashed together. Best. Salad. Ever. Although, I can live without the dried shrimp, a bit salty for me.
We made a Steamed Banana Cake, Khanom Kluay, in a banana leaf for dessert. What a delicious combo made with simple ingredients. It contains only bananas, rice and tapioca flours, sugar, coconut and coconut milk. Notice the “L” in my flag for the cake. We had to mark our cake because they were all cooked together in one steamer.
Needless to say we left the class stuffed, but as I sit here writing this I would give anything for one more bite of any of those dishes, especially the papaya salad! Now the challenge is to figure out how to get all these ingredients in Kentucky, or at least something that tastes similar.
what an incredible birthday experience! sounds like a blast and a memory that will last forever.
Wonderful post. Thank you for sharing. I agree outdoor markets are a totally different expreience. I hope you have a blessed and safe time. Cheers!
That looks like an amazing experience. I want to search for cooking classes here but I know they have a lot of meat stuff here. That is so neat that you got to do this, and for your birthday…what a great gift!
What a wonderful experience. I wish I could have found something like this when I was in Nagpur, India but everyone seemed to think it was a strange idea.
What an experience- the perfect way to spend a birthday in my opinion. The markets do look very very cool- much different than those in the US. And the food? unique! I want to try that Steamed Banana Cake.
What a great way to celebrate! All of the food looks fantastic and I love going to different markets. So many fun finds.
I am so glad I found your blog! I went to Thailand in January and also took a cooking class (in Bangkok). And I also loved getting a guided tour of the market. I actually made green papaya salad from the class recipe just a few days ago!
I also miss the beautiful fruit and vegetable markets in Thailand. And those adorable tiny eggplants.
Oh gosh that looks like so much fun! Scott’s mom will eat those peppers raw while she’s cooking other things like they’re no big deal. Scott can eat her dishes but some of them make him tear up because they are so hot. Ha!
Taking a cooking class seems like a great way to get more familiar with the culture and it’s cuisine. Especially when you get to experience the market first hand like that.
Taking advantages of the local markets and cooking schools just adds so much to the trip plus it gives you a souvenir (the recipes and cooking knowledge) that will continue long after the trip. I’ve always loved to travel and explore in this way! I can’t wait for my Chiang Mai experience now!
We’re sticking close to home this year because of a lot of family celebrations so the closest I get is a Filipino weekend extravaganza put on by the Asian Culinary Society. Cannot wait – not exactly the same,
So cool. My Dad took a cooking class in Thailand, but I feel like it was more in the street? Maybe not…needless to say, he loved it. I’m dying to go to Thailand!
sarah – It definitely was!
Lazaro – Outdoor markets are some of the best parts of travel for me.
Melinda – Oh, but that meat can be so good. 🙂 I learned a little about Portuguese cooking in Brazil, but not much.
kat – I can related to that. There were a lot of things I asked about in Brazil and got reactions like that. Taking samba lessons was one of them. I was told it isn’t taught, you are born with it. Ha, ha!
Erica – The cake was really tasty. So much banana flavor.
Maria – Markets are such a highlight to travel. A real window into the culture.
Lele – Glad you stopped by! I agree with you about those eggplants. You just can’t help but think they are cute. So many different varieties too. I need to check out your recipe with the papaya salad. Did you post it?
Andrea – Those peppers can definitely be dangerous. I love hot foods, but some of it was way too much for us.
OysterCulture – I bet that experience will be much closer to the real thing than anything I get this year. Ha, ha! A bonus of SF, right? Not much Asian flare in cuisine around here, but its growing.
Emily – It is an incredible place. We’ll go back for sure. There is a lot more to explore.
What an amazing experience! So much fun and all the Thai specialties look incredible!