The term “Royal Thai Cuisine” has been used in menus and food business marketing vastly around the world. Undeniably, you’ll think the dishes will be somewhat special as they’re served to royalties of the kingdom. Obviously they must be superior than the “common” Thai food.
Well, you’re not wrong.
But what’s the difference? What makes them so exquisite? And can you actually savour some yourselves without being invited to a royal banquet?
Here’s a quick flashback. Historical records of food served to royalties were found back dated as old as in 1600s during King Narai the Great’s reign of Ayutthaya Kingdom. The best known figure was Marie Guimar (Thao Thong Kip Ma) and her Portuguese influenced, Thai “golden” desserts; Thong Yip, Thong Yod, and Foy Thong. While the ancient desserts were made of 3 basic ingredients; rice flour, palm sugar, and coconut, Marie was thought to have introduced egg yolk to Thai dessert recipes.
Another famous record was the food poem written by King Rama II in 1800s. Massaman curry was mentioned and admired for it’s aromatic cumin flavor. Thanks to the Bunnag’s, a noble family of Persian descent, who introduced the use of foreign spices to Thai cuisine.
But today’s understanding of Royal Thai Cuisine is based on the recipes from Wang Suan Sunandha, one of the court houses of Dusit Palace, where one of the queens of King Rama V, Phra Vimada Thor Krom Phra Suthasininat Piyamaharat Padiwaratda, resided until 1929. Served as the royal kitchen, Wang Suan Sunandha was considered a palace. It was also a house where noble girls were taught and trained for education, manners, craft and culinary skills.
The chief of the royal kitchen then was Her Serene Highness Princess (Mom Jao Ying) Sabai Nilrat. Her grand daughter, M.L. (Mom Luang) Nueang Nilrat, among other young nobles’ girls, was raised and educated in Wang Suan Sunandha palace.
Passed away at the age of 96 in 2010, M.L. Nueang had left a legacy and recipes she learned from the royal kitchen in her 2 books, Chevitr Nai Wang (life in the palace) 1 and 2. Thanks to her, the gospel will be passed on for generations to come. But unfortunately, despite being printed at least 14 times, the books were all sold out. In fact it’s impossible to find one for sale, new or second hand, to this day.
Many recipes from the books are much talked about among Thai food-lovers, but perhaps as the legendary dishes. Examples are; Ka Pi Kua (toasted shrimp paste dip), Pla Tu Tom Khem (mackerel stew, firm flesh but melting bones), Gaeng Run Juan (beef curry seasoned with spicy shrimp paste dip), Nam Prik Long Reua (spicy chili dip with sweet pork), Sang Wah (charcoal grilled, shredded prawns salad), Room (minced pork filling in thin egg wrap), and unforgettably Khao Chae (rice soaked in cool jasmine scented water, eaten with intricate condiments).
Due to now-rare ingredients, complex preparation, and precision required in cooking, you cannot find the dishes in most restaurants. Many of them may also have lost popularity.
However, you’ll be glad to know that the much-loved Por Pia Thod (deep fried spring roll) was also popular in the palace. The recorded recipe, though, has a bit more elaborate components than the general restaurants’ versions. Prawn, crab meat, and pork, together, are the main ingredients for the royal spring rolls. While shredded cabbage and carrot, coming from nowhere, is stuffed in the Por Pia that we know today.
Other well known dishes like Panang Neua (beef dried curry), Yam Tua Pu (wing bean salad), and Satay Lue (grilled marinaded meat on skewers) are still found on menus of many Thai restaurants. Fine dining and less so. Every chef will swear by his/her version. Most of them are not too far off from the royal recipes. Though traditional Thai cooks will insist on those chefs making Panang curry paste with ground peanut in it, rather than just buying the generic red curry paste. There are dozen of Thai curries that are red. And they’re not the same.
Recipes aside, food that is served to royalties are supposed to be exceptional. Ingredients must be of highest quality, possibly flawless, and at their prime. Vegetables and fruits must be of seasons. In the old days, there was no such thing as all-year-round farming. And everything, was, organic.
Ingredients must be prep to the finest. Fruits and vegetables; well peeled or skinned, pitted or seeded. Meat; deboned, fat and sinew trimmed, sliced into appropriate size. Fish; fillet and thoroughly deboned.
M.L. (Mom Luang) Sirichalerm Svastivadhana, best known as McDang, a celebrity chef born into the Thai royal family, quoted in one of his writings about his childhood memory of a meal that the fish was prep, deboned, cooked, and reconstructed to form a whole fish again before serving. Imagine that.
In Thai home kitchens and local food vendors you will find bone-in, skin-on, chicken pieces, roughly chopped bite size pork, and cross sliced cat fish in curry. Most Thais know so well how to fiddle to eat them with spoon and fork, and fingertips if necessary. Oh and chicken feet? You bet! Their claws are trimmed, though.
Prof Sisamon Kongpan, a revered Thai food expert and teacher, mentioned in one of her broadcasts about how much attention is needed in royal cuisine. Even pea eggplants, the little berries used in green curry, must be selected only the same size. While all in the bunch, young and mature, may be used in home cooking.
Another preaching in the royal kitchen was that the curry paste must be ground with stone mortar and pestle until smooth. While peasant cooks would be very happy with all herbs and spices well mashed. You can now buy all kinds of curry pastes in packets and local markets. They’re super fine as they’re made by modern machines. But it’s incomparable to the fresh, home made pastes.
Aesthetic must never be overlooked. Not everything has to be carved and crafted for royal food but it must be pleasingly presented. In fact, if a piece is too intricately carved it’s probably been handled too much for consumption. But the art is well admired in garnish and presentation.
But all the above musts aside, you need the “palette”. Someone who has a fine tongue to taste and “fingertips” to season and perfect the dishes. The “Mae Khrua,” translates, Mother of Kitchen, with the magic touch. There’s no measurement in the recipes. All flavours must be well balanced. Never extreme. That also means, not too spicy.
If the above to you sounds intriguing, as opposed to daunting, you should seek to savour or attempt to create a dish yourselves. The difference can be tasted.
……………………………………….
About the writer:
Chutima Incharoen (Pui) is the founder of BrassWok Thai Cooking Studio in Cherngtalay, Phuket. She has a degree in Mass Communications from Chiang Mai University, and Diploma inProfessional Thai Cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School. Her Thai cooking classes details can be found on www.BrassWok.com
