Fishing for Change
For TAAN’s debut Farmer’s Talk Dinner, “A Whole New Way To Chic-ken,” we took the opportunity to discuss the ways in which the food we consume every day can impact our health, focusing specifically on the differences between organic and non-organic chickens and their eggs.
Nowadays, more and more people are taking greater responsibility for the food they consume. We believe that our Farmer’s Talk series plays an 
important role in connecting diners with local farmers, and thus helping them to make more informed decisions about their eating and purchasing habits.
For our second Farmer’s Talk Dinner we turned our attention beyond the land. For the longest time, Thailand has been renowned for its abundance of marine resources, however, decades of overfishing have put a strain on our waters and the local communities who rely on them for their livelihoods, In turn, this has also affected everyday consumers.
This is where the Fisherfolk joint-enterprise project steps in. Our guests for the night were Khun Sawaluck Prathumtong and Khun Chutporn Loiplew, who shared with diners their wide-ranging activities aimed at supporting small-scale fishermen in the face of commercial competition, conserving the ocean ecosystem in Thailand’s south, and improving the health of seafood consumers.
Chief among Fisherfolk’s activities is encouraging fishermen to adopt and maintain sustainable fishery practices, including non-invasive seine net techniques, in the hope of restoring damaged ecosystems to their once-pristine state.
Fisherfolk also helps the fishermen to sidestep the middlemen, those companies whose stranglehold on the supply chain both drives up prices for consumers and keeps the pay low for producers. Ultimately, Fisherfolk’s hard work is aimed at delivering fresh, chemical-free seafood to customers while closing the unfair price gap that currently exists.
In telling their stories, Fisherfolk’s representatives were joined by TAAN Executive Chef Monthep “Thep” Kamolsilp, who also had a valuable message to share. Across his nine-course dinner, Chef Thep hoped to shine a new perspective on Thai ingredients. When it comes to seafood, many people are still hard-wired to believe that the best produce is shipped in from far-off waters, but Chef Thep hopes to convince them that local ingredients, when prepared right, are second to none.
Highlight dishes on the night included charcoal-grilled trevally served with torch ginger-infused sea asparagus jam, and mashed chicken liver and pumpkin; a tossed Southern rice salad with organic pork, holy basil, torch ginger, herbs and Southern fermented fish puree; and stir-fried mini geoduck “bue-pa-do” with garlic and dill mountain risotto, coconut milk and homemade butter oyster concentration.
Across the multi-course feast, Chef Thep’s passion for Thai ingredients and unexpected presentation ensured diners a one-of-a-kind dining experience. However, this Farmer’s Talk Dinner wasn’t just an opportunity for guests to taste a photogenic meal made from organic ingredients, but also a chance for them to learn deeply about the Thai seafood supply chain and discover ways that we all can contribute to its improvement.
Join us again soon for another delicious and thought-provoking installment in our Farmer’s Talk Dinner series.
