Known globally for its exotic flavour combinations, there is no better place to learn how to cook Thai food then in Thailand. As you walk through the character filled streets found in every corner of Thailand, you will undoubtedly find yourself wandering through wafts of delicious traditional Thai food, rising up from the numerous curb side kitchens. Thai cuisine is a fusion of traditional fare originating from countries across Asia and Europe, mixed together to embody five main tastes: sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter. Immersed in the birthplace of this delicacy, Thailand is the perfect place to begin learning this culinary craft.

With the taste of fresh green curry awash on my tastebuds, my mouth filled with hints of hot, sweet and salty flavours. The fruits of my labours had paid off in full. My first Thai cooking class held by the Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts (SITCA), an approved City and Guilds cooking school in Koh Samui, was a complete success. A retreat from the hazy island heat, Monday through Saturday SITCA runs two daily Thai cooking courses. Depending on what tempts your taste buds, you can choose from an array of cooking courses that typically feature four traditional Thai dishes including curries, soups, stir-fry, and salads.

The warmhearted personality of our instructor Natsuda, only enhanced the atmosphere of the cozy classroom nestled in the heart of Chaweng Beach. Natsuda has been with the institute for many years and has even traveled the world teaching the secrets to her killer curries and savoury salads. Our menu for the day included the inner workings of a selection of popular traditional Thai dishes, including a tasty Phad Thai with prawns, Spicy Deep Fried Fish Salad, Green Curry with fresh mixed vegetables, and Coconut Milk Soup. Dish by dish we learned the basics of how to thoroughly create each recipe, beginning with the basic information on each ingredient, smelling, tasting, preparing, but also learning the difference between ingredients used in Thailand and how to adapt to locally available equivalents in your area. With a personal copy of the recipes at hand, you could easily take note of anything that might be need to added, substituted or changed to suit personal preference. Everything was created from scratch, including the fresh Green Curry paste which was quite fascinating. As we ground the toasted spices with a mortar and pestle and added in the fresh herbs and vegetables, it created an intoxicatingly fresh and spicy mixture, a difference clearly tasted in comparison to packaged pastes. After preparing each dish, the staff put the unfinished meals aside until all were ready to be cooked.

With a hot wok at hand, we browned the Spicy Fish Salad, cooked up the Phad Thai, simmered the Green Curry and boiled the Coconut Soup. With more than enough food to satisfy each student, upon completion we were joined by our guests that we had invited to take part in enjoying the mouthwatering feast we had prepared. Chalked full of fresh vegetables, exotic sauces, savoury meats, and robust spices, this was Thai cuisine at its finest. In a matter of a few hours we had learned how to create four delicious traditional Thai dishes, without any elaborate complications often associated with Thai cooking.

Infuse some flavours your senses will savour, with your own Thai cooking creations!

The fully air conditioned SITCA facilities allow you to attend a Thai cooking class no matter the time of year. Depending on how much time or desire you have, you can also take an intensive training program which runs 6 or 12 days in duration.