Food has never gone out of fashion, in good times or during economic downturns. And in Thailand where food is the centre of our culture, our pride and joy, the culinary dynamism is always remarkable.
As during the Covid-19 era, the gastronomic scene in Thailand this year wasn't much different from last year.
Food delivery and takeaway services continued to see a phenomenal growth. People are cooking less at home compared to the previous decade when home-cooked feasts were a big lifestyle trend and everyone was trying to exercise their kitchen talent.
Dine-in establishments are also prospering, particularly over the past six months.
Restaurants, cafes and food joints -- new or franchised, by amateurs or pros -- keep opening like mushrooms after the rain. And they all seem to do well no matter what.
But this year the trends in food in Thailand and around the world seem more constructive than flamboyant. Gone are the days when people queued up for hours for fanciful pastries or signed up for a month-long waiting list at some hyped-up Instagrammable joints.
Also, 2022 saw no significant fad in cronuts, croissants, macarons and bubble milk tea. Neither did it revel in charcoal-black food, sweet purple potatoes and everything-egg-yolk.
Perhaps the pandemic made us look more into the core and not just the frills or facades. And that obviously shaped the food trends of 2022.
The Rise of Plant-Based Food
Over the past year, the global food scene witnessed an increasing appreciation of protein alternatives. The market enjoyed 10.5% annual growth.
In Thailand, the term "alternative protein" may be new but if you say "plant-based" and "vegan" -- the more recognised sub-divisions of the meat-free dietary regime -- people with a culinary interest -- proprietors or consumers -- would likely jump in.
The plant-based diet originated in the health community and has nothing to do with ethical implications or animal welfare.
Vegan cuisine is rather a compassionate endeavour not just for one's health benefit, but for the sake of the Earth. In a vegan diet, there should be no animal products or by-products in finished food or processing.
The movement towards vegetarianism has actually been around for several decades. There are thousands of restaurants solely serving meatless dishes around the country. But the craze wasn't that interesting until now, when top conglomerates in the agro-industry such as Betagro and Thai Union have officially joined the bandwagon.
Betagro, Thailand's leading producer and distributor of fresh pork, chicken and eggs, recently launched a plant-based protein brand Meatly!
Offering the same texture and flavour as pork, Meatly! is made from soy protein as the main ingredient. The products, available at supermarkets and fine restaurants, range from ready-to-cook plant-based pork loin, mock meat patty with cheese and mock minced pork.
There is also a new ready-to-eat plant-based food line. Options include tao jiew lohn (fermented soybean relish with pork), nam phrik long ruea (spicy shrimp paste relish with pork) and khua kling moo sub (southern Thai style wok-fried curry with minced pork).
The world's seafood leader Thai Union Group, which specialises in tuna, shrimp, sardines, mackerel, salmon and processed seafood, this year launched OMG Meat.
Developed by Thai Union's Global Innovation Center, OMG Meat is a plant-based product with a selection of ready-to-cook items such as crabmeat, crab dumpling, shrimp wonton, BBQ pork bun, fish nuggets, chicken nuggets and hoi jor crab roll with plum sauce. They are available at various supermarkets and food stores.
The market value of plant-based protein in Thailand is predicted to be 40.5 billion baht in 2024.
Cultivating the Professionals
A real public fever for cooking may have begun in Thailand in 2007 following the worldwide popularity of young celebrity chefs and the flourishing of food-related media.
Since then, cooking schools and workshops have been opening all across the capital.
But what happened in 2022 was different and more eventful.
From the third quarter of the year, a number of world-famous culinary authorities, namely École Ducasse, La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana, Tsuji Culinary Institute and Lenôtre Paris, launched their culinary academic projects that boast state-of-the-art, full-scale facilities equipped with the industry's best available tools.
Opened in September in the Sam Yan area was the 336 million baht Food School Bangkok, a joint venture between three globally-recognised institutions, La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana (ALMA) from Parma, Italy; Tsuji Culinary Institute from Osaka, Japan; and Thailand's Dusit Thani College.
Managed and taught by highly-celebrated chefs and authorities from the food industry, the school offers three levels of certificate courses for aspiring chefs and professionals as well as a selection of short-course masterclasses for cooking enthusiasts.
(For more information, call The Food School at 094-349-7733.)
École Ducasse-Nai Lert Bangkok Studio was officially launched in mid-December. It is a strategic partnership between École Ducasse, a network of schools for hospitality management and culinary arts founded in 1999 by multi-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, and Nai Lert Group, a high-end Thai real estate and hospitality company.
The purpose-built venue is nestled in heritage Nai Lert Park. It boasts five kitchens designed by the École Ducasse team to ensure professional standards, a chocolate and ice-cream lab, a wine cellar and an event room.
Programmes conducted by a professional pool of Alain Ducasse chefs offer a mix of expertise and are in tune with the times and tailored to different levels of learning. Diploma courses and internships at top-tier restaurants are also available.
(For more information, call Nai Lert Bangkok Studio at 02-253-0123.)
The freshest addition to the scene is Lenôtre Culinary Arts School Thailand, the first Lenôtre school outside of France.
The project is a one-of-a-kind collaboration between École Lenôtre, France's highly-respected culinary institute founded in 1971, and Bangkokland, the developer of mega satellite city Muang Thong Thani and Impact Exhibition Centre.
The school, located in Muang Thong Thani, offers in diploma programmes in cuisine, patisserie and boulangerie as well as short workshops and advanced training courses.
(For more information, call Lenôtre Culinary Arts School Thailand at 02-858-9595.)
