From Chiang Mai to Nanjing: Asia Scenic Sharing Thai Cooking and Culture in China
In August 2026, Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School traveled from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Nanjing, China, after being invited to take part in FoodTalks@XINTIANDI – iFCX Cook House.
For our team, this was more than an international cooking event. It was an opportunity to bring the spirit of an authentic Thai cooking class from Chiang Mai to a new audience and to share Thai food as a way of connecting people and cultures.
Four Thai dishes, four different stories
For the Nanjing workshops, we selected four dishes that represent different aspects of Thai cuisine.
Pad Thai is one of Thailand’s most internationally recognized dishes and introduces guests to the technique of Thai stir-frying.
Som Tam, or Green Papaya Salad, brings together the sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavors that are so characteristic of Thai food. Preparing it with a mortar and pestle also makes it one of the most interactive dishes to learn.
Chiang Mai Khao Soi was particularly meaningful to us. Asia Scenic was founded in Chiang Mai, and Khao Soi represents the flavors and food culture of our home in Northern Thailand.
And finally, Mango Sticky Rice showed how simple Thai ingredients such as sticky rice, coconut milk and ripe mango can create one of Thailand’s most loved desserts.
More than learning recipes
At Asia Scenic, we have always believed that learning Thai cooking should be more than following a recipe.
During the workshops in Nanjing, guests learned about Thai ingredients and cooking techniques, but the experience naturally expanded into language and culture as well.
Gayle communicated with participants in Chinese while also teaching simple Thai words. Guests were encouraged to speak, participate, cook and enjoy the experience together.
This is the idea behind what we call a Thai Cooking Ambassador.
Food can become a language of its own — a way to introduce ingredients, traditions, local life and hospitality without needing everyone to come from the same place.
Bringing the Asia Scenic experience beyond Chiang Mai
Working in another country also gave our team the opportunity to test something important.
Could the experience we have developed at our Thai cooking school in Chiang Mai travel beyond our own kitchen?
In Nanjing, our team prepared ingredients, organized cooking stations, worked with unfamiliar equipment and ingredients, adapted to a different event environment and delivered the workshops together.
The response from both guests and the event organizers was extremely encouraging. Participants were engaged and enthusiastic, while the organizers particularly recognized the professionalism, preparation and organization of the Asia Scenic team.
For us, this was meaningful because it showed that the Asia Scenic experience is not only about a physical location.
It comes from the knowledge, teaching style, preparation and hospitality that our team has developed through years of welcoming travelers to Chiang Mai.
Food, culture and connection
Perhaps the most memorable part of the Nanjing experience was the connection that developed between people.
After the final workshop, the Asia Scenic team prepared Pad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice for the event team who had worked alongside us throughout the program.
At that moment, the food was no longer being prepared for a class or a demonstration.
It was simply one group of people cooking for another group of people who had worked together for several days.
That moment captured what Thai cooking means to us.
We believe food is one of the most beautiful languages in the world.
Through Thai cooking, we do not only share recipes.
We share friendship, culture and happiness.
Thank you to everyone in Nanjing who welcomed Asia Scenic so warmly and made this experience possible.
And from our home in Chiang Mai — Thailand will always welcome you. ????????????????
