TAAN’s Farmer’s Talk series is intended as a way to not only celebrate our artisanal suppliers, but also to directly connect local farmers with our diners. We believe that behind each ingredient we use at TAAN is the story of an artisan who has dedicated their life to producing the absolute best produce. Nowadays, the scarcity of time and opportunity makes it very difficult for diners to understand the true value of these organic products, but it’s something we hope to share with them.

 

 

A major objective of the Farmer’s Talk series is to inspire others by showing them our practices. Many people are not aware of how the things we consume every single day can have a big impact on our health. We hope to point out the ways that mass-production farming can have an unhealthy impact on our lives. Chef Monthep would like to inspire others to be mindful of what they’re consuming, both for their own health and for the better quality of society.

Kicking off the very first Farmer’s Talk dinner in October 2018 was Mr. Amnart Reansoi, the founder of Tan Khun Organic Farm in Nakhon Pathom, who took the time to share with us his life’s experience as an organic chicken farmer.

Over the duration of the evening, Mr. Amnart was able to share with us many helpful tips about chicken consumption. For example, he explained that the popular perception that quality chicken meat should be soft is little more than a myth spread by the media. In fact, good organic chicken meat has a firm texture.

Mr. Amnart also discussed the extensive lengths he has taken to maintain his chickens’ good health. Normally, large-scale farming operations will inject a chemical antibiotic into the chicken to prevent the spread of any contagious diseases, which may result in a chemical “leftover” in the meat that’s harmful when consumed. Mr. Amnat, on the other hand, feeds his chicken a natural mix of commonly available herbs like green chiretta and sun-dried poppy which act as antioxidants for the chicken.

When it comes to purchasing chicken meat, it is very crucial to know the differences between an organic chicken and a factory-farmed chicken. Even though it is difficult to find any 100% organic chickens, it is not hard to observe the differences in characteristics. An industrially farmed chicken is typically larger and is notable for its pale skin. An organic chicken, on the other hand, is noticeably smaller in size and comes with a yellowish skin color, both of which are the results of a natural life cycle and healthy consumption behavior.

It may go without saying that a naturally-grown chicken also produces organic eggs. It is unfortunately still common to find eggs labeled as “organic” that are clearly not so. What should give it away as being industrially farmed is if the eggs are uniform in size and appearance. The truth is organic chicken eggs vary in thickness, color and size, even if they all come from the same brood.

 

The full story of our Farmer’s Talk dinner would be incomplete without discussing TAAN’s cooking methods. Chef Monthep believes that Thai food is always evolving and that no rules are set in stone. After many years of cooking French cuisine, he applies his knowledge of new-world cooking principles to Thai food. At TAAN he cooks what he has coined “Present Thai” food. On top of using organic ingredients from local farmers, Chef Monthep proudly practices a “zero waste” approach to his cooking, meaning that all edible parts of the chicken are put to use.

TAAN is proud to hold up artisans like Mr. Amnat as true role models for the future of food production. His story of turning his back on a bright career in industrial farming to launch and run his own self-sustainable organic chicken farm is inspiring, and one we can all learn from.
Stay tuned for more inspiring food artisan stories from TAAN’s Farmer’s Talk dinner series.