7-Day Chef Tour

Overview

Thailand is a prosperous nation, and our food reflects this. As one Thai proverb says, there is rice in the field, fish in the water. Wherever you go, you can enjoy the abundance of fresh and local ingredients that make up our cuisine.

And as part of my 7-day Chef Tour, you will see, smell, taste, and experience Thai food like never before. Whether shopping alongside Thai home cooks at the most local of markets, planting rice & fishing in the provincial streams, or getting countless hours of hands-on experience in the kitchen, you will gain the knowledge and experience to produce a feast for your friends and family.

Highlights

• Regional cuisine taste testing
• Rice planting (or harvesting)
• Shellfish Farming
• Floating Market
• Train Track Market
• Thai Cooking
• Or Tor Kor and Chatuchak Market

Itinerary

Welcome to the Land of Food! You will have a private transfer from the airport to your hotel.

Welcome to Thailand! Get settled in at your hotel and get ready for your foodie feasting! You’ll start out your trip with a traditional Thai massage to help overcome your jet lag (and to loosen up your body before the countless tasty treats!).

To kickstart your culinary immersion experience, today’s special treat will be a southern Thai meal at one of the local’s favourite eateries. This isn’t the drunken noodles you’ll find on the menu in Chicago, Paris, Melbourne. The unique dishes of the South have been described by many a visitor as one of the best meals in Thailand.

Seafood Market & Train Track Market

Today, you will learn where Thai meals start: at the local markets. Your adventures begin at a popular seafood market where you can see the numerous stalls filled with local, fresh-caught fish. Whether it’s the famous Thai mackerel, shellfish, or other delicacies, you will find no shortage of tasty seafood ingredients here.

As well, you will continue onwards to the Train Track Market in nearby Samut Songkhram province, which is a sight to behold. Locals are selling everything from fruits to beef, desserts to produce right along the railway line. As trains come through, vendors scramble to pull back their products and then quickly reassemble their ingredients and delicacies once the danger has past.

Shellfish Farming & Amphawa Floating Market

Along the coast, many Thais make their living by catching fish and other seafood. By long-tail boat, you can go out to see how some locals farm shellfish and also take in the sights on the seaside.

Then, give back to the earth and help the environment by planting saplings in the nearby mangroves. This act of kindness will teach you about the local ecosystem and will ensure that it will be around for generations to come.

Later in the day, visit the world famous Amphawa Floating Market. Watch, photograph, and engage vendors as they float by you with their many treats and products.

Coconut Sugar Orientation & Chatuchak Market

Amphawa isn’t only famous for its floating markets but also for its sugar production, which is an essential ingredient in Thai cuisine. A local Royal Project center turns coconut flower sap into delicious coconut sugar. This all-natural product will be made before your eyes, and you can even purchase some of the coconut sugar treats to help support the Thai farmers as well as the palace’s royal projects.

In the afternoon, you will return to Bangkok and have an opportunity to visit the world’s 4th best fresh market, Or Tor Kor. Right next door, get lost in Chatuchak Market, the largest market in Thailand. Here, you can buy everything from silver to jasmine trees, Thai chili to Siamese cats.

Chinatown

Bangkok and much of central Thailand is home to the Thai-Chinese. After generations in the Kingdom, the Thai-Chinese have developed their own cuisine and way of life. Eating from street vendors, shopping in the busy Chinatown markets, and sipping coffee with Thai-Chinese residents are all a must.

Fermented Fish

You have already seen the fresh seafood markets and shellfish farms, so now it’s time to visit the pla ra factory to see how Thais preserve their daily catch. By fermenting freshwater fish, they can make one of the most important umami additions to Thai cuisine. Fermented fish and fermented fish sauces have been used around the world, from Ancient Greece to India and from Japan to South America. This ancient custom is still practiced widely in Thailand, and you can see the process for yourself.

Later on…

The central plains of Thailand are the country’s rice bowl. Plant (or harvest) Thai rice alongside local farmers, and prepare some for cooking as well. Assist local fishermen to catch some Gouramis fish to add to your next meal.

After a busy day of hands-on experiences in the field, join a Thai family in preparing your dinner and delicious Thai treats all evening long. Then, rest your weary bones in an open-air Thai homestay where you will enjoy a calm breeze and further tasty delights.

Before the private transfer to your departure airport, enjoy one final morning in the land of golden bowl, Ang Thong.

We always welcome you to the land of rice in the fields, fish in the water. We hope you have enjoyed your many experiences and that you will remember the delicious tastes from across the country. See you in Thailand again soon!