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This is my intention to all readers in Valentine’s day to introduce Duang-rithi Claewplodtook who is really passionate about Thai
cooking. Apart from its own appealing appearance and distinctive taste, Thai food was born from the love to experiment with many recipes of many countries. Duang-rithi is a
person who has a profound relationship with Thai cooking although he chose to study in a different field. In the end, he decided to walk in the path of a food expert and
stylist. His design of food is quite magnificent and praiseworthy. This article is for everyone who enjoys food and cooking. Apart from food stylist, he is also the moderator of
a food program on TV and food advisor for many hotels and restaurants. Here is the interview.
JY: I would like to know about your decision to be a food expert and stylist?
DC: I have so many impressions about food. In my childhood, I practiced cooking with my grandmother in the kitchen. Later, I
learned about Thai cooking from several national-class Thai food experts including M.L. Nueang Nilarat, M.L. Tor Kridakorn and
Butree Veeravaitaya. This encouraged me to become one of the food experts and food stylists of Thailand.
JY: What about your educational background and past careers?
DC: I received a bachelor’s degree of Art from the faculty of
Archeology, Silpakorn University and a master’s degree of art (Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Arts Management) from
College of Innovation, Thammasart University. For my previous occupations, I was an archeologist and curator of the Fine Arts
Department before working as a creative and content manager for museums and exhibitions in Thailand and abroad. My most
recognized work is “Museum Siam”. However, my passion for food finally turned me to be a food stylist who designs food instead.
JY: Currently, what do you do?
DC: I am working as a host for several food programs on TV and writing columns about food in magazines. I am also working as a
food advisor in hotels and restaurants, providing knowledge, demonstrating and training people about food in companies and organizations.
Some of my current work is:
- Writing a column “Taste & Tales” for Health & Cuisine magazine
- Designing food and writing a column “Bazaar Cuisine” for Harper’s Bazaar Thailand
- Artistic Food Stylist for White Café
- Food Guru for Food & Health Gang, True Vision 67 Channel
- Food advisor for Tempi Felici restaurant, Palio Khao Yai
- Food judge for “The Iron Chef Thailand”
- Special educator for demonstrations and workshops for food made for the royal project in the royal project fair 44
- Supervise and design food for Dhara Dhevi Hotel Chiang Mai and hotel in X2 group at Pranburi and Koh Samui Thailand
- Design the food for commercials such as S&P Central Food Hall and Emporium Magazine
JY: Tell us more about your love affair with food?
DC: I love the story about food since it is a part of our life and
one of the four necessities for sustaining human life. As a human being, we are so fond of food that we cook and decorate it
beautifully with scientific and artistic knowledge. I wrote the story about food on my Facebook page. It is like a journal about
food. I was surprised that my friends visited my Facebook and gave me many likes. They comically said that they even smelled
the fragrance of Thai food from my Facebook wall and told me that this kind of feeling and atmosphere is really hard to find in social network sites.
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Exchanging information and stories about food always makes me happy and sometimes brings me back to the past. When I was
young I usually went to the kitchen with my grandmother. At first, she taught me some basic cooking and asked me to pass
some ingredients and kitchen tools to her. I tried to focus on the cooking and remembered many good stories she told when she
was in front of the charcoal stove in the kitchen as well as some tips that I tried to learn from her. For example, she didn’t use
her tongue to taste food but relied on her smelling sense to smell the fragrance, to identify the suitable flavors of sour, salty and sweet.
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I still remember the story of “yellow curry and grilled rice crust."
My friends did not expect that they could be eaten together. “Rice porridge with coconut milk” is a recipe from the royal
palace that has the pleasant smell of natural coconut milk. “Thai sweetmeat made of fried flour” is a dessert eaten with
pomegranate syrup. The origin of some recipes from the royal palace along with some tips and bits of story make food more
lively and pleasant to eat. Salty mackerel stew is another recipe from a person whom I respect. Her name is M.L. Nueang Nilarat
. The palace kitchen prepares this dish every Thursday. There was also sukiyaki using Japanese recipe that the Suan Sunandha
palace prepared for the royals while they were watching an outdoor cinema in the garden at front of the palace.
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Despite my affection for food, at first I did not design my life in the path of food stylist. I chose archeology to study the history
of ancient sites, artefacts and excavations. After graduation, I worked as archeologist in the Fine Arts department and I used
to be a curator at the National Museum Kanchanapisek. I also used to work as project content & copy writer for the permanent
exhibition of Museum Siam. However, the path that looks so different might actually be the same. Studying and working in
this field give me opportunities to meet several remarkable people who have extensive knowledge in Thai food such as
Butree Weeravaitaya, daughter of M.L. Tor Kridakorn. She is regarded as the expert in food recipes used in the palace as well
as M.L. Nueang Nilarat, the author of “Life in the palace”. This person taught me so many things and told me interesting stories
about food. She makes me understand that food contains many historical stories on par with Baan Chiang potteries or beads in Dhavaravati period.
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If people are happy with their life, they can create so many great inventions. Various manmade creations such as tools, potteries,
clothes have better shapes and details as well as they become more colorful. Likewise, diversity of food is plentiful. In the past
of Southeast Asia, our food choices were limited to only three things: rice, fish and salt. After the visits of foreign nations, we
attempted to gradually adapt their food recipes to be compatible with our way of eating. The food became more delicious with
various types of additional seasoning such as coconut milk, chili, spice, curry paste, sugar and lemon juice. Food is regarded as
the culture from the ancestors to the next descendants in the present. Every small thing has its own history and tale.
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Thai food derives from the combining of science and the art of cooking by using the combinations of various food from many
countries. It is like the way that Thai people put on their clothes or make their own living. From the past to now, our way of
clothing for male and female is influenced by many countries. The way of Thai cooking is similar. Many curry dishes such as
massaman or green curry were influenced by Indian food. Frying with cooking oil is the method Thai people adopted from China.
The way of Thai cooking is essentially made from the blend of various cooking methods and ingredients. Over the years, it
became something distinctive enough to be called Thai food. In my view, if we know what is our origin and our thinking
principles, then we eventually realize that nature of the culture always changes. Lastly, I believe that the opinion of many people
might be changed when they understand something more deeply because if our mind opens wider due to deep realization,
then we can accept and extend what we have with better quality.
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