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Articles on Thai Food & Culture by Kasma Loha-unchit

Copyright © 1995 – 2007 Kasma Loha-unchit (unless noted).

A native of Thailand, Kasma has been teaching Thai cooking since 1985. Here are a series of articles, written mainly by Kasma, that explore a wide variety of subjects relating to Thai food, Thai culture, traveling in Thailand and learning to cook Thai food.

Note: Our Thai Food and Travel Blog has more articles.

Kasma's Philosophy

The Art and Joy of Thai Cooking – Taken from It Rains Fishes.

The Spirit of Thai Cooking – Kasma Loha-unchit's view on what is authentic Thai food.

Bangkok Post Interview with Kasma (May 18, 1996) – An interview soon after Kasma won her Julia Child cookbook award.

A Note on Thai Spelling and Pronunciation – why English spelling of Thai words can be confusing.

Thai Cooking Secrets

Cooking "to Taste" – Never blindly follow a recipe!

Creating Harmonies with Primary Flavors – Here is the essential secret to creating authentic-tasting Thai food.

Enjoy Congee (Rice Porridge) – Learn about this delicious and easy Thai breakfast.

Exercise in Balancing Flavors – Balancing flavors lies at the heart of good Thai cooking. Narsai David said this exercise alone made Kasma's book It Rains Fishes worth buying.

How to Make a Curry Paste – an excerpt from Kasma's book, It Rains Fishes, tells how to make a curry paste from scratch.

Learning to Cook Thai – Kasma's husband, Michael, talks about learning to cook Thai food.

Northern Style Curried-Noodles – Hearty Noodles with Curry Sauce Combine Thai, Burmese and Chinese Flavors.

Ingredients

Bitter Melon – A vegetable that Asians love.

Durian: Notorious "King of Fruits!" – "Stirs strong passions; you either love it or hate it."

Growing Kaffir Lime Trees in the (S.F.) Bay Area: One Gardener's Guideline (for Brown Thumbs) – Kasma's gardening experience revealed.

How Shrimp Paste is Made.

How to Tell Fish Freshness – Hints to use while buying fresh fish.

Jasmine Rice – This article includes Kasma's special technique for steaming rice, often said by students to be worth the price of her class.

Peanuts & Thai Cooking – Are peanuts integral to Thai cuisine?

Smooth, Creamy Taro – All about Taro! Includes links to two recipes.

Salted Black Olive – A Chinese ingredient also used in Thailand.

Coconut Articles

(Full Listing of Coconut information on this Web site.)

Coconut: A Fruit, a Nut or a Seed? – Find out which!

Coconuts in Thailand – How to eat a coconut a day in Thailand.

Cracking a Coconut: The Easy Way – Learn how coconuts are cracked in Thailand. Make your own coconut milk.

Selecting a Coconut for Purchase – How to pick out a coconut when shopping.

Shredding a Coconut – Once you've cracked the coconut, here's how to shred the meat for use in recipes.

Preparing a Coconut for Pressing Milk – You can make your own fresh coconut milk for use in recipes.

The Truth About Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is actually a healthy, nourishing food. Find out why.

Where to Buy Coconut Oil. Add this delightful health food to your diet.

Fish Sauce Articles

How to Flavor Food with Fish Sauce – From its Mediterranean Roots, fish sauce now flavors all sorts of Southeast Asian foods. Recipes for three sauces included.

How Fish Sauce is Made – Made from fresh fish from the sea fish sauce does wonders for Thai food.

A Visit to a Thai Fish Sauce Factory – Going to the source!

Thai Regional Cuisine

Southern Thai Cooking – What makes the food of Southern Thailand different?

Roti – A Southern Thailand Version – Pan-fried Muslim bread, Thai style.

You might also enjoy exploring our Thai Ingredients Page

Thailand – Land of the Coconut – By Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, PhD. Learn about the traditional diet of Northeasterners in Thailand.

Restaurants in Thailand

Ruen Mai Restaurant – Our favorite restaurant in Thailand in the southern province of Krabi.

My Choice Restaurant – One of our favorite Bangkok restaurants in Thailand.

Tools of Thai Cooking

How to Season and Care for Your Wok – Basic information on the Wok.

Use and Care of your Wok – More basic information on the Wok.

Wok: Flat or Round Bottom? – How to choose between flat and round bottom woks.

The Stacked Steamer – Makes steaming foods easy and delicious – Includes links to two bonus Chinese recipes!

The Mortar & Pestle – on our blog!

Articles on Thai Culture

Thai Values

Some Important Heart Values – Thailand is a "heart" culture. Here are some of Thailand's important values.

Buddha Images in NE Thailand – All over Thailand one encounters images of the Buddha: this article looks at a few found in Isahn (NE Thailand).

Our blog entry, Buddhism, Thailand, Achaan Chah – Some thoughts on Thai Buddhism.

Seafood Culture

The Story of Dancing Shrimp – from Kasma's cookbook, Dancing Shrimp: Favorite Thai Recipes for Seafood.

A Seafood Culture – from Kasma's latest cookbook, Dancing Shrimp: Favorite Thai Recipes for Seafood.

The Thai Fish-Eating Tradition – The importance of seafood in Thai culture.

Street Food

One Soi's Street Food Scene – Stroll along Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lo) and enjoy the food.

Siripon, Maker of Kanom Krok – Meet one of the people who cook some of the best food in Thailand and sell it on the streets.

Thai Street Food – Learn about delicious Thai fast food.

Thai Observations by Kasma's Husband Michael

Eating Out in Thailand – Explore some of the many options for eating in Thailand.

Impressions While Traveling In Thailand – Thoughts from Kasma's husband after a 2003 trip.

Thai Reflections – Kasma's husband ruminates on Thai food, and Thai culture.

Tsunami Reflections – Kasma's husband Michael reflects on the tsunami media coverage and what he saw in the South in the month following the disaster.

Some Fun Articles

Celebrating Twenty Years of Teaching Thai Cooking

Lahore Karahi – a great Pakistani restaurant in San Francisco, well worth a visit!

Reflections on Reading Weston A. Price – Dietary wisdom that everyone should know.

Photos

Underwater photos – Kasma took these while snorkeling on her trips to Thailand.

Krabi Underwater photos – a selection of pictures Kasma took snorkeling in Krabi in December 2008 and January 2009.

Markets of Thailand – A collection of 75 photos from colorful, vibrant markets all over Thailand.

Thai Food Sampler – Until you've traveled to Thailand with a food-oriented Thai person who speaks the language, you have no idea about the incredible variety you are missing.

Northeastern Thailand Fabrics – Some of the fabulous cotton and silk fabrics from Northeastern Thailand (Isaan).

Kasma also has photos for each of her three trips:

  • Trip A – 28-day trip of central, northern and southern Thailand
  • Trip B – 19-day trip of central and northern Thailand
  • 2009 Trip B – photos from the 2009 19-day trip of central and northern Thailand
  • Trip C – 20-day trip of southern Thailand
  • Trip D – 20-day trip of northeastern Thailand (Isaan)

See Also: Favorite Thai Recipes.

Articles Copyright © 1995 – 2008 Kasma Loha-unchit (unless noted). All rights reserved.

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