Private chef Lilian Hiw, of Lilian’s Kitchen, in Culford, near Bury St Edmunds, visits The Magic of Thailand Festival, in Cambridge
I had heard many good things about the annual Magic of Thailand Festival held on Parker’s Piece in Cambridge for many years, but had somehow never managed to pin the date in my diary. Imagine my excitement when I recently spotted the date on Facebook and found out that I was free that weekend! It was a very lovely day, so I thought I would share my experience with you.
We paid for entry at the booth and took a photo of the laminated paper programme to check out what was on. Upon entering, we saw some monks giving blessings. We sat down at their stand where they offered us a basket containing a selection of braided string bracelets with beads to choose from. The monks chanted softly as they tied our chosen bracelet around our wrist and sprinkled water over our hands – a gentle ritual of goodwill and protection.
We wandered around, rummaging through the different stalls selling Thai cookware, baskets, decorations, paintings, artefacts, gifts and clothing. I loved the bright colours and cheerful designs. I’ll return next year to buy the pyramid-shaped cushion that supports your back when sitting on the floor or lying in bed. Some of the clothing designs were different from those on our local high street, and a few pieces were definitely eye-openers. They would be ideal for someone looking for something just a little different, especially if you are of a smaller built. And as we passed the boxing ring, we saw the Thai boxers looked pretty pumped up, bouncing on their feet and throwing practice punches as the crowd cheered them on.
Sadly, we missed the red duck curry cooking demonstration by ten minutes. Being a foodie, I would have loved to watch it, but we had a whale of a time at all the food stalls. There was so much on offer: Som Tum (green papaya salad), pig’s intestine braised in soy and whole spices, grilled meat skewers, pig’s blood jelly with meat balls in spicy broth and deep-fried chicken feet in batter. There were also all sorts of noodles, curries, meat and vegetable skewers, fried rice balls and much more. . . As I couldn’t convince my friends to share a portion of the chicken feet, we settled for Massaman beef curry, Pad Thai noodles and Pad Krapow (stir-fried minced pork with Thai basil, garlic, chilli and fish sauce). I then spotted some Thai garlic sausages and chicken satay with peanut sauce, which we just had to add to our lunch selection.
We found a spot in front of the stage, laid out our picnic rug and sat down to enjoy our feast while being entertained by the performers. There was traditional Thai dancing with its graceful movements, Chinese synchronised dancing and sharp blade dancing. The ladyboy performers were very theatrical and entertaining. The costumes, special effects and audience engagement were amazing, such great fun!
My friends couldn’t be persuaded to take part in the “I’m British, get me out of here” eating competition, so we went in search of desserts and a cup of tea instead.
Just past the stage we came across a stall selling hot Thai tea and Thai tea ice cream. Traditionally, Thai tea is made from strongly brewed black tea (often Ceylon or Assam) and sweetened with sugar and condensed milk. Often evaporated milk is also added to make it extra creamy. Thai tea is traditionally served cold over ice due to the tropical heat in Thailand. However, it can also be enjoyed hot as a comforting drink in cooler weather, although this is less common. So I was a little surprised that we got hot tea. It has a subtle vanilla scent and a distinctive orange hue. That is because commercial Thai tea mix contains yellow food colouring, which turns orange when mixed with the tea’s natural red colouring. Once stirred with condensed milk, the tea transforms into its signature vivid orange glow. Hmmm. . . you can see from the photo, the dye is pretty strong - it stained our tongues!
We did a full recce of all the stalls selling traditional Thai sweets, cakes and puddings before making our pick. There was so much to choose from: the classic mango sticky rice with salted coconut cream, tiny bowl-shaped coconut milk pancakes, colourful jellies topped with shredded fresh coconut, steamed pandan puddings . . . the choices went on and on. A banner on a stall caught my attention, ‘Stir-fried ice cream’! I weaved my way through the crowd to take a peek. The liquid ice cream mixture was moved around with two metal scrapers on a freezing ‘hotplate’ in a stir-frying action to produce the ice cream. Interesting street theatre, but the queue was too long.
In the end, we agreed on the ‘Sweet Roti with Banana-egg’ as our dessert. A stretched paratha fried until crispy on the outside with a filling of tender banana and beaten eggs. It was served with a generous drizzle of sticky condensed milk and light toffee sauce. It was sweet, gooey and totally indulgent.
There were massage therapies available at the festival. One tent offered chair massages for aches and pain in the shoulder and back. Another offered traditional Thai massages, where the masseuse climbs onto the massage bed and uses their knees, elbows and feet to apply deep pressure on pressure points to release tension. We were very tempted, but with our tummies so full, we decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to lie on our front and be stepped on!
The Thai beer company Singha had put up lots of bright yellow tents to provide shade for visitors, and straw mats had been thoughtfully laid out for people to lounge on. Appreciating the warm hospitality, we went to the Singha booth to spend some money and got ourselves some refreshingly chilled draught beer.
What a privilege to share a day with local Thai families enjoying their time together, and having a banter and a laugh with the friendly street food vendors. It was truly a cultural experience. I look forward to visiting again next year, I wonder what special programme they have planned for their 10th anniversary celebration. Well, my dairy is marked for the first weekend of August 2026.
On the subject of Thai food, I have designed a new Thai class, to share essential techniques and tips for achieving the perfect balance of the bold flavours in Thai cuisine. We will make Thai spring rolls, Som Tum salad, Tom Yum chicken curry, Pad Krapow and fluffy jasmine rice. You will be welcomed with a Mai Thai mocktail, after which we will cover knife sharpening and cutting methods, create vegetable carvings for garnish, and hone in on presentation and plating skills. It’s a fun, hands-on session, and we’ll sit down together afterwards to enjoy your delicious creations.
COOKERY CLASSES
NEW Thai - September 13
Dim Sum - September 20
Street Food - October 29
Party Food - November 13
Visit lilianskitchen.co.uk
Until the next time, take care of yourself!
Private chef Lilian Hiw
Author of Lilian’s Kitchen Home Cooked Food
Visit lilianskitchen.co.uk