The Symphony of Thai Herbs in Fine Dining at R-HAAN, the Michelin Star Restaurant 2023
What every master chef ever has done if not create flavourful recipes by using everything at their disposal as imaginatively and creatively as possible. Locally available delicacies are often than not begot from locally limited or unique ingredients, which make their taste and touch valuable and exceptional. With those exceptional qualities came the exquisite fine dining dishes as we know around the world.
Apart from seasoning and accentuating tastes, herbs generally come with medicinal properties as acknowledged by folk wisdoms since long past. So, every great chef in the tradition of fine dining cuisines learned and perfected the ingenious art of using and mixing herbs into recipes while being informed about both aspects of the said herbs’ properties.
The Origin of Unique Flavours and Aromas of Thai Cuisine
In Thai cuisine, locally grown herbs have always been in the spotlight in many recipes from every part of the country. To be well-learned in crafting and creating in Thai cuisine tradition, one has to devotedly study to be well versed in the art of herbs mixing. Each herb comes with distinct flavour, aroma, properties, either culinary or medicinal ones, that makes each of them unique ingredients in their own right. And, if we let our imagination run a little, we could say that herbs in Thai cuisine tradition are, metaphorically speaking, musical instruments, each with their own tone and volume.
With our devotion to the tradition of Royal Thai cuisine, R-HAAN has celebrated the wonders of Thai herbs with our special ‘Samrub’ course in the past. The entire courses are purposefully created to be the fine dining showcase of how local herbs are utilized in authentic Thai recipes and how each of the herbs’ properties are drawn to become parts of each menu.
With the initiation of MasterChef Chumpol Jangprai, who is one of the virtuosos in contemporary Thai culinary art scene, R-HAAN’s fine dining courses emphasizing on Thai herbs goes by the name ‘Samrub’ would be served as invitation for travellers in taste around the world to the splendours of authentic Thai recipes.
In our ‘Samrub’, one will find oneself among eight Thai tastes, according to the traditional recipes, that is, salty, sweet, sour spicy, oily, bitter, astringent and fizzy, which are masterfully utilized and orchestrated from various Thai herbs, essentially to represent Thai cuisine master crafts in the global fine dining context. It could be said that it is our hope at R-HAAN to see Thai cuisine with its unique ingredients or ‘musical instruments’ will sing and play the symphony of savoury to people around the world.
The next part, we will explore the most common herbs in Thai cuisine which would not be exaggerated to say that are indispensable whether in the family cooking or fine dining contexts.
Galanga (ข่า)
Galanga, Kha in Thai, or to be more precise, Alpinia galanga is one of the most common ingredients/herbs in the tradition of Thai cuisine, regardless of origin of recipes from different parts of the country. Apart from herbal spicy flavour and gracious aroma, galanga contains medicinal properties which, at appropriate quantities, could help the digestive system. Serving as a fine dining menu, R-HAAN’s Tom Kha or Coconut Cream and Galangal Bisque is one of the must try dishes for every food lover.
Lemongrass (ตะไคร้)
Lemongrass, or Ta Krai in Thai, might at first sight seem like nothing that could be ingredients in cooking, but the fact that this is the most common herb that was used in many Thai dishes, indispensable even in the world renowned Tom Yam Kung to Nam Prig Pra Rah, or Isaan spicy dipping sauce made with fermented fish, might remind us that this is one of the most versatile ingredients that could go with various menus. More than that, lemongrass’ medicinal properties are also various in kind. It can help facilitate gas expulsion. Increase appetite and facilitate digestive system.
Kaffir lime (มะกรูด)
Kaffir lime, or Magrood in Thai, is often used as an ingredient for its unique and graceful aroma, which comes from its essence oil. Thai cuisine, as evident in many dishes such as Green Curry, Traditional chilli paste (พริกแกง), Tom Yam, etc, often accentuate the aromatic aspect of the dishes. One could undoubtedly say that, in the fine dining establishments serving authentic Thai cuisine, Kaffir lime is one of the herbs that is essential to the kitchen. Apart from that, the medicinal properties that come with Magrood are also various in kind, as it can be used to relieve coughing, reduce nausea, etc.
Reserve Your Seat for Greater Experience
To enjoy the symphony of Thai herbs at the fine dining restaurant, R-HAAN, composed and supervised by chef Chumpol at Bangkok, please reserve the table at website www.r-haan.com, email address: reservation@r-haan.com or call + 66 (0) 95 141 5524 (from 12.00 – 21.00 hrs.)
