Michelin-star chef champions Mu Kratha as potent Thai soft power

The Michelin-star winning chef, who is also CEO of Thai Cuisine Academy, was responding to critics’ arguments that Mu Kratha cannot be promoted as a Thai culinary item as it does not originate from Thailand.

The argument began when Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who oversees the soft power committee, announced she would promote Mu Kratha as a soft power.

The dish features a unique pan designed for both grilling and boiling meat and vegetables.

Mu Kratha buffet restaurants are particularly popular among Thais, who love piling their plates high with ingredients to cook at their tables. Now, many shops have introduced penalties for diners who leave too many leftovers on their tables.

The dish has now become so popular that some restaurants have started delivering it along with the special pan.

Chef Chumpol’s contention is that dishes that have been accepted, adapted and merged into Thai culture qualify as soft power. For instance, he said, Phad Thai was originally Chinese, but now the noodle dish has been adapted and modified to become uniquely Thai.

Similarly, he said, Mu Kratha combines Mongolian and Chinese hotpot with South Korean grilling.

“But Thais are creative and can adapt contemporary foods to create new dishes,” he said.

“I think any food that becomes part of the cultural melting pot and is passed on from generation to generation can be regarded as a Thai dish. This can be applied in the case of Mu Kratha.”

With four decades in the food industry, Chumpol said he has watched the evolution of Thai cuisine and is “confident that Mu Kratha will be a Thai culinary gem with global appeal”.