Mom Luang The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' (), which are accompanied by royal titles. The Sovereign There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on whether he has been crow ...

Sirichalerm Svasti (; ; born 31 February 1953), who is usually known by his nickname McDang (; ), is a Thai food expert,

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

, and writer.

Early life and education

Sirichalerm Svasti was born in Bangkok in 1953, his great-grandfather was Prince Svasti Sobhana, a son of King

Mongkut Mongkut (18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868. The reign of Mongkut was marked by significant modernization ini ...

. McDang completed his early education at

Cheltenham College Cheltenham College is a public school ( fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school opened in 1841 as a Church of England foundation and is known for its outstanding linguis ...

(

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England),

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

School of Foreign Service The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) is the school of international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It grants degrees at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Founded in 1919, SFS is the oldest continu ...

, (Washington DC) and at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Career

McDang's culinary training in New York led to a career as executive chef at The Reach Hotel (

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

, Florida), Food and Beverage Director for Paul Tripp Restaurant Group (Key West Florida), and owner and manager of the Back Porch Cafe in

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Rehoboth Beach ( ) is a city on the Atlantic Ocean along the List of beaches in Delaware, Delaware Beaches in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. As of 2020, its population was 1,108. Along with the neighboring coastal town of Lewes, ...

. McDang returned to

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

in 1993, where he began writing about food and cooking, and appeared on TV cooking shows. Today, McDang is "...one of Thailand's most recognized and learned food authorities. He is the author of several best-selling

Thai language Thai,In or Central Thai (historically Siamese;Although "Thai" and "Central Thai" have become more common, the older term, "Siamese", is still used by linguists, especially when it is being distinguished from other Tai languages (Diller 2008:6 ...

cookbook A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (food), course (appetize ...

s, host of the popular weekly TV program ''McDang Show'', writes weekly food columns for Thai and English-language newspapers, and consults for a number of companies, including

Bangkok Airways Bangkok Airways plc () is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives, and Singapore. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport in the Thai cap ...

, Siam Winery, and Wai Wai

instant noodles Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash-frying cooked noodles, which is s ...

. Internationally, McDang has appeared on a number of TV shows and has lectured in Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. Each year he is invited to lecture at culinary schools in the United States about Thai cuisine. The notes for these lectures formed the basis for his first English language cookbook, ''The Principles of Thai Cookery'' (2010). Chef McDang, himself descended from the royal family, asserts that the difference between Thai royal cuisine and regular Thai cuisine is fiction. He maintains that the only difference between the food of the palace and that of the common people is the former's elaborate presentation and better ingredients.

Works

Since 1998, McDang has written eight books. He also writes a "McDang Guide" column in the newspaper '' Daily News'', which presents good foods and great restaurants in Thailand and around the world.

Thai language

*''McDang Cook Book'' (1998) *Yum Thai Yum Farang Cook Book (1999) *''McDang Cook Book 2'' (2000) *''McDang Guide 2001'' (restaurant guide) (2001) *''McDang Guide 2003'' (restaurant guide) (2003) *''McDang's Recipes'' (2003) *''Mcdang Guide'' (restaurant guide) (2004) *''Delicious Food from McDang's Kitchen'' (2005)

English language

Thai television

*McDang Show (MCOT Channel 9, 2007 – present)McDang Show
*McDang's Kitchen Weekly (ITV, 2003–2007) *Father & Son Kitchen (ITV, 2000–2003) *McDang Koo Krua (Channel 5, 2000–2001) *McDang Plang Ros (Channel 7,1998–2000) *Krob Chakraval Kitchen (Channel 9, 1997–1998)

International television

*Guest appearance with

Gordon Ramsay Gordon James Ramsay (; born ) is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur, television presenter, and writer. His restaurant group, List of restaurants owned or operated by Gordon Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, was founded in 1997 and has ...

on ''

Gordon's Great Escape ''Gordon's Great Escape'' is a television series presented by chef Gordon Ramsay. Series 1 follows Ramsay's first visit to India, where he explores the Indian cuisine, country's culinary traditions. Produced by One Potato Two Potato, in associ ...

'', Series 2, Episode 4, (UK, 2011) *Guest appearance on '' Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations' (United States, 2009) *Guest appearance with '' Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin'' (United States, 2009) *Guest appearance on Ishai Golan show Street Food Around The World, Series 1, Episode 5. *Appears in Taste Takes off to Thailand 2004 (New Zealand, 2004) *Guest on City Cabs / Letterbox (United States, 2003) *Guest and consultant for Planet Food Thailand on the UK Travel Channel (UK, 2001)

References

External links

Chef McDang website
{{authority control Thai chefs Thai non-fiction writers Living people 1953 births Malakul family Svastivatana family Georgetown University alumni People educated at Cheltenham College 20th-century Thai writers 21st-century Thai writers Mom Luang Thai male non-fiction writers Chefs of Thai cuisine Writers on Thai cuisine