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Published on October 24, 2007

 The Anuga Food Fair, the largest food & beverage trade fair in the world, was held earlier this month in Cologne, Germany, and marked another step on the ladder for the recognition of Thai food in the international arena.

Washed down by Singha Beer, a set of sparkling new dishes created by Thai chefs were enjoyed by guests attending a reception during the event.

While preparation of the menu was left in the capable hands of the celebrated culinary team from the Oriental Hotel, the brewery invited Krissanapong "Kris" Kiattisak, the energetic editor of Wallpaper (Thai edition), to create four new dishes under the concept "Timeless and Borderless".

Kris, a freelance interior designer and food enthusiast who is also a guest lecturer at the Silpakorn University's School of Decorative Arts, drew his inspiration from different eras in different countries.

His "Mogul Mystery", a pan-fried fish fillet with lemongrass and spiced sauce, was inspired by Indian cuisine during the reign of seventh-century Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in Agra.

His "Empress Cixi's Passion", roasted duck with fresh lychees, was named for the powerful dowager who ruled over China in the late 1800s. Legend has it that Cixi's passion for lychees was so great that her soldiers were sent to the south every day to bring the fresh fruit back to Beijing.

The next dish was inspired by the palace of Versailles, where roses are a central motif of the interior design. Kris created "Versailles Spring" with fragrant rose-blossom sauce poured over chicken to symbolise the freshness of springtime in Paris.

He used Asian noodles topped with shrimp and squid for "Milan Flair", a dish inspired by the arrival of pasta in Italy following Marco Polo's expedition to Eastern Asia.

 Juthamas Cholthavornpong

 The Nation