Short answer
What will we cook?
Five dishes: a curry paste and curry (green, red, panaeng or massaman), a stir-fry (pad Thai, fried rice, cashew chicken or holy basil chicken), a soup (tom yum or tom kha) and deep-fried spring rolls. The school has no fixed menu, so you pick what you want to cook.
The school has no fixed menu, so decide before you arrive what you want to cook: one curry, one stir-fry, one soup and spring rolls. Heat is your choice dish by dish, so mild is fine for children and for guests who do not like chilli. This guide covers the Thai Cooking Class at an Organic Farm in Chiang Mai from the pickup to the last stop — the mood, the route and the tips guides mention in passing.
What makes the Thai Cooking Class at an Organic Farm in Chiang Mai worth your time
Pickup is between about 8:00 and 8:30 am for the morning class, or between 3:00 and 3:30 pm for the evening class, from hotels within about 3 km of the Old City. The group stops at a local market, then drives to the farm, about 45 minutes from the Old City. After a guided tour of the garden you cook five dishes at your own station with an English-speaking instructor, eat them, and are driven back to your hotel at about 2:30 pm (morning class) or 9:30 pm (evening class).
Route highlights at a glance
The standout moments of the Thai Cooking Class at an Organic Farm in Chiang Mai.
- Your own cooking station — Each guest cooks at an individual station with an English-speaking instructor; there is no fixed menu, so you choose the dishes.
- Organic farm and herb garden — A guided walk through the school's organic garden, with herbs to taste and fresh ingredients for your dishes.
- Local market stop — A stop at a local market on the way to the farm, to see the ingredients and the countryside way of life.
- Spicy or mild, vegetarian or vegan — Make each dish as hot as you like; every dish is available as vegetarian or vegan, and the recipes come as an e-book.
How the day unfolds, step by step
The route in order; exact pickup times and what shifts by season are in the schedule.
- Hotel pickup — From hotels within about 3 km of the Old City: about 8:00-8:30 am for the morning class, 3:00-3:30 pm for the evening class.
- Local market — A stop on the way to the farm to see the ingredients used in Thai cooking.
- Organic farm — A guided walk through the garden, herbs to taste, a welcome snack, drinking water and seasonal fruit.
- Curry paste and curry — Make a curry paste and a curry of your choice (green, red, panaeng or massaman), as spicy or as mild as you like.
- Stir-fry, soup and spring rolls — Choose a stir-fry (for example pad Thai, fried rice, cashew chicken or holy basil chicken), a soup (tom yum or tom kha) and deep-fried spring rolls.
- Eat and return — Eat what you cooked or take it away. Back at your hotel at about 2:30 pm (morning class) or 9:30 pm (evening class).
Insider tips
The details a guide mentions on the day — worth knowing before it.
- Hotel pickup covers hotels within about 3 km of the Old City; tell us your hotel when you book.
- Every dish can be vegetarian or vegan; tell us about food allergies when you book.
- You choose spicy or mild for each dish, so you set the heat yourself.
- Bring mosquito repellent and sunscreen; the ingredients and equipment are provided.
- You can take the food you cook away with you instead of eating all of it at the school.
- Dessert is not part of the half-day class; ask us about the full day if you want it.
Best time of year
November to February is the coolest and driest time for the walk through the farm; March to May is hot and the air is often hazy, April is the hottest month, and the rainy season runs from about mid-May to mid-October.
Whether it is worth the money and what the price covers is in why book it.
Questions and answers
What will we cook?
Five dishes: a curry paste and curry (green, red, panaeng or massaman), a stir-fry (pad Thai, fried rice, cashew chicken or holy basil chicken), a soup (tom yum or tom kha) and deep-fried spring rolls. The school has no fixed menu, so you pick what you want to cook.
Can I cook vegetarian or vegan food?
Yes. All dishes are available as vegetarian or vegan. Tell us about any food allergies when you book.
Can I make the food mild?
Yes. You decide whether each dish is spicy or mild, so the class works for guests who do not like chilli.
What time is the pickup and when are we back?
Morning class: pickup about 8:00-8:30 am, back at about 2:30 pm. Evening class: pickup about 3:00-3:30 pm, back at about 9:30 pm. We confirm the exact time for your hotel the day before.
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- Can you cook vegetarian or vegan at a Chiang Mai cooking class, and what about spice and allergies?
- Thai Cooking Class at an Organic Farm in Chiang Mai — From $30 per person