Local food-and-beverage practitioners had the chance to get a close look on traditional Northeast Thai “Isan cuisine” at a workshop co-hosted by IFTM and Wynn Food and Beverage Academy on 20 April 2023.
This session was the inaugural event for a master chef workshop series that spans from April to July 2023. The rest of the series will showcase cuisines representing origins such as Sichuan, Northeastern China, Southern Fujian, Chiuchow and more.
Northeast Thai Isan cuisine is one of the varieties of Thai regional cuisines. As explained by Master Chef Num Weerawat Triyasenawat, presenter at the workshop, the Isan cuisine is characterised by its pungent and herby flavour manoeuvred by the use of less sugar and revolving around a more essential choice of spices, such as chili flakes, toasted rice powder and fresh herbs. It is also more rustic and has more straightforward cooking techniques when compared with other Thai regional cuisines, so as to preserve the original flavours of the fresh ingredients. The participants were expected to have a better understanding of Thai and Isan cuisines, according to Chef Num. In addition, he underlined to the participants that “flavour” is the core of all Thai cuisine.
Mr. Edwyn Tam Chi Fai, Coordinator for IFTM Food and Beverage Courses, School of Continuing Education, echoed Chef Num and was expectant of participants being able to understand the delicate details entailing Thai Isan cuisine. Discussing the effect of the workshop, Mr. Tam spoke positively, believing that it provided participants with additional and authentic cuisine knowledge, assisting them to improve their learning experience in cuisine cooking as well as food culture knowledge.
Mr. Tam stated that the possibility of opening a Thai cuisine course at IFTM can be researched – subject to the availability of eligible chef-teachers – although at the moment, IFTM is currently working to expand its Macanese cuisine course. “We are discussing with a local Macanese association to cooperate in opening a new 30-hour Macanese cuisine course,” he revealed.
IFTM and Wynn Food and Beverage Academy have been long-term and constant partners in the mission of nurturing Macao’s culinary talents. The latter has not only relied on its culinary team but has also invited renowned chefs and wine masters to the institute on a regular basis.
Mr. David Wong, Executive Director of the Wynn Food and Beverage Academy, worked at IFTM and stated that he involved IFTM “with almost everything” that he did. “At the Academy, we started a lot of programmes for people at IFTM – for an apprenticeship, management training, or internship, as well as wine, culinary arts, and cooking masterclasses,” Mr. Wong said.
On future collaborations, Mr. Wong highlighted that plans for the rest of the year have been made, and that there will be classes featuring Michelin Green Star-awarded chefs and restaurants, as well as Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System training. Industry workshops co-hosted with IFTM, on the other hand, will include several sustainable gastronomy classes, a wine master class on sustainable and organic wine, a Kombucha workshop, and a sustainable seafood workshop. He also revealed that Wynn will support two IFTM alumni who will be competing in an Escoffier contest in Singapore.
The workshop saw the participation of a few dozen of participants from the local dining industry, highlighting IFTM’s endeavour to progress in talent cultivation, product enhancements, and adequate economic diversification, a full alignment with the major policy of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government.
Throughout all these years, IFTM has hosted and co-hosted a multitude of culinary workshops – taught by internationally and regionally renowned chefs – for students and industry partners to help accentuate their literacy, intellectuality, and intelligence in culinary arts and related disciplines.
