The cuisines of Northern Thailand: Between mountains, tea and traditions

Ban Rak Thai village, near Mae Hong Son, known for its tea plantations and its Chinese and Shan inspired gastronomy.

This article is part of our series The Cuisines of Thailand from North to South. After a general introduction, this is our first regional instalment. It is only natural that we begin with the North.

Northern Thailand, with its majestic mountains such as Doi Inthanon, the country’s highest peak, offers a face very different from the rest of the kingdom. The climate is cooler, the landscapes more rugged, and these geographical features have shaped unique culinary traditions.

This cuisine developed at the crossroads of ancient trading routes where spices travelled between Burma, China and Laos. Influences are centuries old but grew stronger in the twentieth century, when communities from Yunnan, Myanmar and Laos settled in these mountains. These migrations, particularly after the Chinese Civil War, deeply marked the food culture of the North and enriched its traditions.

The result is a distinctive gastronomy, rooted in its own land yet open to its neighbours. It is therefore reductive to speak of a single cuisine of the North. It is better to say the cuisines of Northern Thailand, as they reflect a mosaic of peoples, histories and skills.

Shan Cuisine: The gastronomy of the Tai Yai people

Among the most striking influences is Shan cuisine, that of the Tai Yai people, found especially in Mae Hong Son province. The Shan share many traditions with neighbouring Myanmar, and this is felt in their dishes. Less sweet and rarely using coconut milk, their cuisine favours salty and spicy flavours. Sticky rice is a staple, present at every meal.

Their specialities highlight vegetables, mountain produce and simple yet intense preparations. Shan fritters, called krabong, are made from grated pumpkin mixed with curry paste and deep-fried until irresistibly crisp. The Hang Lay curry, a pork stew with spices, ginger and tamarind, is perhaps the most emblematic dish: originally from Myanmar, it has become a culinary symbol of the North. The Shan also excel in pounded salads: roasted aubergines mashed into a dip, spiced jackfruit, or wild greens seasoned with garlic, chilli and fresh herbs.

Tea plays a central role. Not only do people drink it, they eat it. This Burmese legacy has been integrated into Shan food culture. Fermented tea leaves create a salad known in Burma as lahpet thoke: a mix of tea, roasted peanuts, fried garlic, tomatoes and chillies. In Northern Thailand, fresh leaves are often used, either pounded or fried as tempura. For Westerners, eating tea may seem unusual, but here it is natural and a clear marker of identity.

Ban Rak Thai and Mae Salong: Chinese villages in Thailand

To understand this tea culture, one must visit the villages. The most famous is Ban Rak Thai, near Mae Hong Son. Founded by Yunnanese refugees, it is a Chinese village in Thailand. Those who dream of discovering China without leaving the Thai border find here a unique atmosphere: clay houses, endless tea plantations, and restaurants serving Yunnan dishes alongside Shan salads. Everything revolves around tea: it is drunk, bought, and above all eaten. The famous tea salad is everywhere.

Further north, in Chiang Rai province, Mae Salong (now called Santikhiri) offers a similar experience. Established in the 1950s by former Kuomintang soldiers from Yunnan, this Chinese village in Thailand is surrounded by hills covered in tea and coffee plantations. It is an easy half-day excursion, where visitors can sample oolong and green teas, explore Chinese markets and enjoy exceptional mountain panoramas.

Nearby, Choui Fong plantation has become a true attraction. Visitors can taste different teas free of charge, but above all they can dine at the restaurant, where tea is used in many forms: fresh leaf tempura, green tea desserts, iced drinks. It is an experience not to be missed to appreciate how central tea is to the gastronomic identity of the North.

Coffee has also gained importance. Grown in the mountains of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, it has become a valued export product as well as a favourite for local consumption. Coffee shops now flourish on almost every street corner. Like tea, coffee developed thanks to agricultural conversion projects, particularly those initiated by the Royal Projects.

Chiang Mai: The gastronomic capital of the North

It is impossible to discuss Northern food without mentioning Chiang Mai, the region’s largest city and cultural hub, and a true paradise for food lovers.

Here the cuisine is diverse, with emblematic dishes and street discoveries. Khao Soi is the undisputed king: a curry noodle soup with coconut milk, topped with chicken or beef and crispy fried noodles. Each cook defends their version, whether spicier, richer, or even “dry”. It is the must-try dish for every visitor.

Sai Oua, the Northern sausage, is another classic. Made of minced pork, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chillies and herbs, it is grilled over charcoal to release its aromas. The best are often found in markets, sold warm, sliced, and eaten on the go.

Nam prik chilli pastes are essential. In the North, they are often served with pork crackling, adding crunch and richness. Nam Prik Noom, made with roasted green chillies, has a slightly smoky taste; Nam Prik Ong combines tomatoes with minced pork. These spicy dips are eaten with vegetables, sticky rice or crackling.

Northern larb is another cornerstone. Unlike the Isan version, it relies on dry spices, resulting in a more fragrant dish with hints of cumin and coriander.

Nam Ngiao soup (or Nam Ngeow) is popular around Chiang Mai and beyond. Made with fresh rice noodles (khanom chin), tomatoes, pork, blood pudding and often fermented soy (thua nao), it has deep flavours and is topped with crunchy mung bean sprouts.

To enjoy Chiang Mai’s true food culture, one should not stay confined to the tourist centre. The old town restaurants are charming, but the most authentic experiences are found in neighbourhood markets, street stalls and small grills. Day markets, and to some extent night markets, are where locals gather to enjoy sausages, soups and recipes untouched by standardisation.

Even shopping centre food courts deserve attention. Far from being impersonal, they often host specialised stalls, each dedicated to a single dish or ingredient, sometimes run by local experts. Here one can discover truly local versions of famous dishes or try little-known recipes rarely found outside Northern Thailand.

Curries of the North: Jungle flavours and rustic traditions

Northern cuisine is closely tied to its environment. In the forests, where coconut was not available, people learnt to cook without coconut milk. This is the case with Kaeng Pa, the jungle curry. Traditionally made with game, today it often uses pork, chicken or even frog. Always without coconut milk, it remains rustic and bold, very different from the rich curries of the South.

Other rustic curries showcase local produce: bamboo shoot curry, banana blossom curry, jackfruit curry. These highlight agricultural and forest products.

Mountain tribes still practise unique forest cooking techniques: complete meals prepared in freshly cut bamboo, used both as cooking pot and utensil. Sticky rice steamed in bamboo, smoked pork, roasted aubergine salads. A cuisine at once inventive, rustic and deeply rooted in the land.

Royal Projects: Doi Inthanon and Doi Tung

Northern gastronomy is also linked to recent history through the Royal Projects. Two in particular stand out, appreciated by Thais and travellers alike.

At Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain at 2,565 m, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) initiated a project offering mountain dwellers sustainable alternatives to opium cultivation. Today it produces temperate flowers, rare vegetables and fruits such as strawberries and avocados. A restaurant located within the project allows visitors to enjoy these products at over 2,000 m altitude, a unique experience.

At Doi Tung, Princess Srinagarindra, mother of King Bhumibol, launched a similar project to replace opium fields with tea, coffee, macadamia nuts and flowers. Today Doi Tung is a model of sustainable development and a must-see destination.

Ethnic diversity and culinary influences

The North is a crossroads, and this is visible on the plate. The Akha cook with wild herbs and vegetables, the Hmong specialise in fermentation, the Lahu in hunting and forest produce. The Chinese of Mae Salong and Ban Rak Thai brought noodles, tea and fermentation techniques. Muslim communities introduced their own spices and slow-cooked stews.

Geography strengthens this diversity. Just hours from Laos and Myanmar and only 250 km from China, the North has always been a passageway. Spice routes from India passed through Burma and the forests of the North, despite tigers and dangers, to reach China. These routes left a lasting imprint on flavours.

Northern Thai cuisine: A gastronomy to discover step by step

Northern Thailand is more than a tourist region, it is a culinary world of its own. From tea salads to rustic curries, from Royal Projects to Chiang Mai’s specialities, from Chinese villages to Shan traditions, its richness is still largely unknown.

To explore further, read our article Recipes from Northern Thailand, which introduces our book dedicated to the cuisine of Northern Thailand. This book brings together fifty signature recipes from the region, explained step by step, so you can recreate the authentic flavours of Northern Thai cooking at home.

We have also created a free travel guide for food lovers, based on our one-month journey through the North. It combines the must-see stops with those favoured by locals in daily life. The idea is to discover the region differently, by sharing local experiences rather than following standard tour itineraries.

The guide can be used in several ways. For those seeking full immersion, it offers a detailed one-month itinerary. For shorter stays, it provides numerous day-trip suggestions. Above all, at each stage it recommends specific restaurants and dishes to try, so travellers can enjoy Northern food with confidence. In remote areas where English is little spoken, these indications are particularly useful.

The gastronomy of Northern Thailand is rare and exceptional. Perhaps not unique in the world… or maybe it is. We believe that if you explore it with our recipe book and our guide, you will agree.

Continue the experience

Northern Thai cuisine is not only discovered on the road, it can also be learnt in the kitchen. In our twelve-month programme (DTV visa), one entire month is devoted to the food of the North, with its rustic curries, tea salads and Chiang Mai specialities.

For those who prefer shorter formats, we also offer intensive training or half-day classes. Our catalogue includes fifty Northern recipes, allowing anyone to recreate at home the dishes they discovered during their travels, or simply to explore this unique tradition.

It is a way of extending the journey, bringing a little of these mountains and flavours to your own table.

Recipes from the North

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