Continuing from part 1 of the cooking lesson, click here, if you haven't read it.
The cooking lesson that morning had three students (2 ladies and me), Chef Narain briefed us about dishes we would be cooking and a wet market tour. The wet market (Bang Rak market) is across the river and adjacent to hotel Shangri-La
In Thai language, Chef Narain told us that Bang means 'river' and Bang Rak market is a wet market along the river chao phraya.
I was excited and expecting the wet market tour, it would have not been possible without Chef Narain. How an outsider can find a local wet market like that without local guidance? The tour was about 1 hour long and my eyes were wide open. Chef Narain gave us an insightful and interesting lecture about the local culture and how it has been affecting local eating habits. Herbs and spices are essential to Thai cooking and the local is very attentive to selecting a right spice or herb for a cuisine. Basil, there are three types of basil, sweet, lemon, and holy. But we outsiders may call all varieties Thai basil.
Rak is love and Bankrak = a river full of love.
This is where a small factory producing coconut products is located
A by-product from young coconuts. The flakes can be used over food steaming to release the aroma of coconut.
A by-product from mature coconuts. Coconut flesh change colours from white to brown.
Entrance to the wet market. Never mind the wetness or the unorganised scene, poultry or seafood you can buy at a up-scale supermarket in Bangkok is probably from the same origin.
People in Thailand prefer seafood, chicken and pork to beef. It is all about religion where beef may be considered as a being to be spiritually protected.
Fresh chicken, good for Thai chicken curry
Ready-made curry paste. But you can make your Thai curry from scratch, really easy to make. Fish sauce, palm sugar, coriander roots, chillies, lemongrass, lemon leaves, and some curry paste
A stall selling seafood. Again, don't be discouraged by the organised scene. Up-scale supermarkets sell same seafood.
Different kinds of melon and sweet basil.
This is holy basil, if my memory is still serving me right
Limes. Lemons are too expensive in Thailand, they must be imported (the weather does not allow to grow lemons in Thailand) and limes as an alterative does a good job.
Cannot recall what they are
Most stalls are closed before 12:00. Not to miss how vibrant the wet market is, you may go there before 9:00, at which the wet market is full of
Thai morning glory. Hey, this is not that morning glory
They are called key fingers because they look like small fingers and keys. They smell earthy.
Walk deeper into the wetmarket and you will find another side of it where street food awaits you
Kaffir limes. They are so fragrant and can be used as a natural soap. Leaves are used for cooking.
Cannot recall what it is. Perhaps something to enhance flavour.
Pork jerkies and pork shreds
Hibiscus tea, a herbal tea with many benefits to offer
A shop that sells daily items to be donated to monks. Monks in Thailand as a holy signature cannot touch money. They cannot use money at all to buy even tiny daily items they need. The only way to have those things is receiving donations from believers.
Sea weed products
Crispy waffle rolls
Tropical fruit, exotic!
Guavas, a hidden gem that has rich antioxidant agents
Quail eggs to be eaten with fish maw soup
Another tropical fruit but I cannot remember the name. Spiky one.
Stones of this fruit can be eaten.
Street food is what makes Bangkok unique, don't miss any and give it a try.
恭喜你！您的这篇文章入选 @justyy 今日 (2018-06-17) 榜单 【优秀被错过的文章】, 回复本条评论24小时内领赏，点赞本评论将支持 @dailychina 并增加将来您的奖赏。
Congratulations! This post has been selected by @justyy as today's (2018-06-17) 【Good Posts You May Miss】, Steem On! Reply to this message in 24 hours to get rewards. Upvote this comment to support the @dailychina and increase your future rewards! ^_^
Thanks
Congratulations! Your high quality travel content caught our attention and earned you a reward, in form of an upvote and resteem. Your work really stands out. Your article now has a chance to get curated and featured under the appropriate daily topic of our Travelfeed blog. Thank you for using #travelfeed
20 SBD Up For Grabs in the TF Cup! - lean more about the contest here.
Congratulations, Your Post Has Been Added To The Steemit Worldmap!
Author link: http://steemitworldmap.com?author=prch
Post link: http://steemitworldmap.com?post=my-cooking-lesson-at-mandarin-oriental-bangkok-2-of-3
Want to have your post on the map too?
This post was shared in the Curation Collective Discord community for curators, and upvoted and resteemed by the @c-squared community account after manual review.
Ah visiting any market in the world is such a delight! All the activity - the hustle and bustle. Sights and smells. Take it all in! Wow, a cooking class at the Mandarin Oriental, you went for the real deal. Like that you took loads of pictures and btw, that picture (after the limes) that you didn't know the vegetables is: Thai basil (top one) and Cha-om (bottom one). Cha-om is a pretty strong tasting vegetable and in Thailand, it is usually cooked in a omelette. Hope that helps! 😊
You're qualified to become the Thai tour guide now XD
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by prch from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.
I found your post from steemengine, Nice pictures, all the best with your cooking lessons.
You just planted 0.16 tree(s)!
Thanks to @prch
We have planted already 3536.98 trees
out of 1,000,000
Let's save and restore Abongphen Highland Forest
in Cameroonian village Kedjom-Keku!
Plant trees with @treeplanter and get paid for it!
My Steem Power = 22722.89
Thanks a lot!
@martin.mikes coordinator of @kedjom-keku
I love how real and raw this photography is! Would love to have you involved with The Travel Series! Would love to showcase your work and draw even more attention to it. I just launched the account yesterday, so do check it out and let me know if you would be interested!