Benny's Home Cooking Class, Cooking school and tourist attraction near Chiang Mai, Thailand
Benny's Home Cooking Class is a cooking school and tourist attraction near Chiang Mai, set in a private home surrounded by rice fields and a kitchen garden. Sessions begin with a guided visit to a local market, then move to the home kitchen where each guest works at their own station.
Benny founded the class in her own home to give visitors a direct experience of traditional Thai cooking outside a commercial setting. Over time the program grew to include northern Thai dishes like Khao Soi and special sessions around local festivals.
The class follows the rhythm of a local market visit before moving to the kitchen, where participants grind their own curry paste using a mortar and pestle. This step reflects a method passed down through generations and still common in everyday Thai cooking today.
The session lasts around six hours and pickup from central Chiang Mai is included, so no independent transport is needed. Booking well in advance is a good idea as group sizes are kept very small, and comfortable, casual clothing is recommended for the cooking environment.
Guests can harvest fresh herbs and vegetables directly from the garden before using them in their own dishes during the class. Whatever they pick, they are allowed to take home at the end of the day.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
