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Thailand isn’t only known for its temples and full moon parties. It is also known for its variety of food. From curries to Pad Thai to sticky rice mango there should be something included for everybody’s taste and preferences. So why not take a cooking class in Chiang Mai to be able to cook these delicious dishes at home as well? That is an experience that should definitely be included in any Thailand itinerary.
Depending on where you are in Thailand you can get a proper street food dish for about 30 TBH (less than 1€). It is to say that also for food the North of Thailand will be a lot cheaper than the South including the islands. A common activity for travellers is always to take a cooking class and learn how these dishes are made and what ingredients are needed.
The most famous place in Thailand for taking a cooking class is definitely Chiang Mai. The amount of cooking schools you will find in this city is insane. Usually these schools will offer evening as well as full day courses. For an evening class (around 4 hours and 5 dishes) you can expect to pay around 800 TBH. For a whole day class between 1000 TBH and 1200 TBH.
As I only had a limited amount of time in Thailand but really wanted to be taking a Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai, I decided to take an evening class. I booked this in the morning so no need to make any reservations in advance.
The school was called Great Kitchen Cooking School and it was recommended by my hostel. Sadly I was the only person that signed up for this day. That was a bit awkward at first but still turned out to be a really great experience.
The Cooking Class in Chiang Mai
I got picked up at my hostel on time and the lovely lady that owned the school took me to the market first were we got all the ingredients that were needed. She explained what all the vegetables and spices were used for as I have to admit that I have never heard of most of them.
After the market visit we went to the cooking school and started cooking. First the chef was going to cook the dish and after that I had to try it myself. As I can barely make pasta by myself without setting the kitchen on fire I was a bit worried! But I got all the help I needed and it did not turn out to be that difficult after all. It was actually really nice to just have a private cooking lesson which I do believe is not usually the case.
We cooked a total of 5 dishes. Those included Pad Thai Chicken (my forever favourite), Green Curry, Stir Fried Chicken with cashew nuts and sticky rice mango (and I forgot the last one).
After each dish I got to eat all of it. I have never eaten that nice in my life probably, it was so delicious.
At the end of the lesson I got a little cooking book and a little certificate saying: “Master Chef Rebecca”. That was really sweet. After that I got dropped back off at my accommodation.
Even though I probably won’t be able to recreate those dishes. Just because it is really difficult to get my hands on all the ingredients it was absolute worth the experience. I can absolute recommend taking a cooking class when in Thailand.
I hope you consider going to the Great Kitchen cooking school. The chef and her husband where really nice and made me feel really welcome. They also took pictures while I was cooking which are great memories to look back to.
Would you consider taking a cooking class in Chiang Mai?
