Chiang Mai is know for cooking classes–something I thought I’d never be interested in. Sure, I love to eat. But cooking?  Well, I do heat up a mean Trader Joe’s pizza.

Then I stumbled upon a blog post on Thai Dye Guy called Eating is an activity. I think it may have been the blue rice that first caught my eye. “Basically you cook and eat all day,” he began, reeling me in for the catch.

The cooking school, Asia Scenic, picked him up in the morning and headed out of town to a market where they bought the ingredients they would be using. Then they headed further out to the cooking school and its farm. His small group of ten chose seven dishes and went to work, cooking and eating all day.

• Pad Thai 
• Spicy Chicken Salad
• Spring Rolls
• Coconut Milk Chicken Soup (Yes, please!)
• Khao Soi Curry Paste
• Khao Soi Chicken
• Mango Sticky Rice

He didn’t explain how they ended up with blue rice but, putting my librarian skills to good use, I found the answer.  The blue color comes from blue flowers soaked in water that is then used to cook the sticky rice.  No Blue No. 2 food dye is involved.

The course costs $35, including round trip transportation, all you can eat, and a cookbook.

I’m definitely doing this. And you know I need another cook book.

Photo courtesy of Thai Dye Guy – ©2016 Francis Tumbokon.