Thailand cuisine is known for a balance of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, made possible by a variety of flavorful condiments, ranging from hot sauces and peanut sauces to bottles of umami-rich fish and soy sauces. Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) is exploring the cultural roots of Thailand’s flavors through a unique sensory experience, the Thai Local Sauce art exhibit.
The exhibit features Thailand’s delicious sauces, not just as flavoring, but as tools akin to what an artist uses for masterpieces. Sixty Thai sauces will be highlighted as treasures that contribute to the food, tourism, and export industries that drive Thailand’s economy. The event will feature four zones serving visual, auditory, and gustatory experiences through Thailand’s culture and gastronomic history from the past, present, and future.
Zone 1 is “SAUCETALGIA,” tackling nostalgic flavors and familiar menus that locals have tasted over the years. Visitors can watch videos of chefs giving tips on traditional cooking, as well as videos on how each drop of sauce contributes to culture. Zone 2 is “SAUCE, SOURCE,” with local identity at the heart of the exhibit as visitors explore the sixty sauces that create Thailand’s unique flavor profile and where they come from. Zone 3 is “Power SAUCE,” where visitors will get to see a roadmap of the economic power that Thailand’s sixty sauces hold, and how these sauces were used as leverage for cultural and food tourism. Lastly, the special zone is a “Food to Order” digestive exhibition in Neighbormart, where the true gastronomic experience of Thailand’s flavors is. Visitors can do an ice cream tasting with 4 innovative Thai sauce flavors (black siu with burnt sugar, hui tofu with orange jam and burnt butter, banana in fish sauce, and orange juice with brown sugar), check their MBTI test (My Bottle Type Is), and buy any of the fifteen bottles of local sauces available.
The Thai Local Sauce exhibit is free to attend, so grab your culinary curious friends and visit the Thailand Creative and Design Center in Bangkok until November 23.