Northern Thai food: how to cook like a local

Want to learn about Northern Thai food? Looking for Thai recipes? Read Chariya Khatitiyot's guide, then check out the guide to Basque cuisine and North Mexican food.

Recipes extracted from Lanna by Chariya Khatitiyot (£22, Ryland Peters & Small). Recipes are sent by the publisher and not retested by us.

Northern Thai cuisine

It’s no surprise that Northern Thailand’s cuisine is as layered and vibrant as the region itself – a misty, mountainous landscape bordering Burma and Laos, shaped by forested hills, cool air and centuries of Lanna tradition. Here food is built around earthy, herbal and fermented flavours. Meals begin with warm sticky rice, the region’s staple, rolled by hand and dipped into bold chilli relishes. One of the most beloved is nam prik ong, a fragrant pork and tomato relish, served with crisp vegetables and crunchy pork crackling – a contrast of textures that defines the northern table. Curry here is slower, deeper. Gaeng hung lay is a rich pork belly stew spiced with tamarind, ginger and garlic – mellow, warming and influenced by Burmese cooking. Grilled meat plays a big role too. Northern-style pork barbecue, marinated in herbs and grilled over charcoal, is eaten with sticky rice, green papaya and dipping sauce. The colours are earthy – turmeric golds, banana leaf greens and chilli reds. Ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and fermented soybeans appear in everything from soups to sausages. Eating in Northern Thailand is communal. In villages, meals are served on low circular trays called khantoke, with dishes placed in the middle for everyone to share. Food is often cooked over wood or charcoal fires, and the air is filled with the scent of herbs, smoke and spice. The cuisine is humble yet refined, shaped by nature, memory and instinct – a living tradition that brings people together, whether in a street market, a temple fair or a quiet family home.

Northern Thai recipes

Thai pumpkin curry (gaeng fak thong)

This always takes me back to the days when we had pumpkin plants growing in the backyard. The leaves were so big, I remember thinking they were larger than my head. The pumpkins were green on the outside but bright orange on the inside. Now, living away from home, I tweak the recipe to use butternut squash, which is easier to find but still tastes just as good. My mum told me this was my grandma’s favourite dish. I was too young to remember her since she passed away when I was little but every time I cook it I imagine sharing it with her, hoping she would have loved it as much as I do.

Larb muang (Thai chopped pork salad)

This was the dish my family loved to cook every Sunday, our special gathering day. It reminds me of how families here come together for Sunday lunch. We’d prepare this dish, serving half of it raw for the adults and the other half cooked for the children. I always stuck with the cooked version, I never dared to try the raw one. After lunch the whole family would gather around our small TV watching boxing matches. It wasn’t just about the food, it was about spending time with family and sharing simple joys.

Crying tiger beef salad (yum nua seua rong hai)

Crying tiger beef salad is a dish as intriguing as its name. It is beloved for celebrations and special occasions, partly because steak is considered a luxury in Thailand, making it a rare and meaningful treat. The tender grilled beef paired with bold, spicy and tangy flavours turns every bite into something extraordinary. Its rarity makes it even more special and it’s a dish everyone loves to share when marking life’s big moments.