Stockholm/Bangkok, 29 May 2014 – An exclusive and exquisite red wine introduced by award-winning Thai chef Ian Kittichai was the highlight of a Thai cooking class organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Stockholm Office in the Swedish capital to promote a new line of “gourmet tourism.”
Developed together with the Australian winemaker Jacob’s Creek, the wine, named Lamoon, is the first of its kind in the world. It proved to be a winner among the many Swedish guests invited to the cooking class at the Aveqia restaurant on 15 May, 2014. The theme was “Experience the culinary delight of Thailand.”
Ian Kittichai is a well-known chef and cookbook author who, among other things, has won the Thai Iron Chef and operates a number of restaurants worldwide. Under his expert guidance, about 80 guests from the Swedish travel industry, Swedish artists and celebrities, food bloggers, food and travel journalists, corporate executives and others, cooked a three-course meal comprising of pomelo salad with seared scallops, self-made curry paste and Thai crème brulée.
Mrs. Nalinee Pananon, Director of the TAT Stockholm Office, said, “Thai cuisine, especially popular dishes; such as, Phat Thai and green curry, is a favourite among many Swedes. We were very fortunate to have Chef Ian share some of the secrets of making Thai cuisine.”
She added, “Swedes love Thai food, and there are now many good Thai restaurants in Sweden. Our cooking class was a part of our office’s efforts to get more people to discover and learn more about the real Thailand.
“In addition to enhancing the already high reputation of Thai fine gourmet cuisine, we expect this project will lead to more “gourmet trips” to Thailand from Sweden,” Mrs Nalinee said.
According to Chef Ian, “It felt great to visit Sweden and cook and dine together with all the lovely people. The heart of Thai food is a combination of social interaction and experience. I was most impressed by the level of cooking among participants. I can see why Sweden has so many successful chefs.”
For those who were unable to attend, filmed descriptions and recipes from the evening are available on www.amazingwellness.se.
Five secrets of Chef Ian Kittichai on how to succeed in the Thai kitchen:
- Thai cooking is often quite simple, but most dishes in Thailand contain many ingredients and steps, so it is important to prepare all the ingredients before starting to cook.
- In all Thai dishes you have to find the balance between sweet, salty, sour and spicy. Try for example, fish sauce instead of salt and palm sugar instead of regular sugar.
- Use fresh ingredients. It always tastes the best.
- Besides eggs, dairy products are rarely used in Thai cooking. Coconut milk is more common and is the basis of many dishes and desserts.
- Taste! Recipes can be a good starting point but dare to trust your own taste and find the balance of flavours.
All photos by: Johan Bohlin
Contact Information:
International Public Relations Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.tatnews.org
