GI Journey puts Thai regional ingredients on fine-dining menus
The Department of Intellectual Property is bringing GI ingredients into fine-dining menus through GI Journey, linking local identity with premium food markets.
- Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property has launched the "GI Journey" initiative to promote regional Geographical Indication (GI) products in the fine-dining sector.
- The program partners with acclaimed chefs and restaurants, such as KHAAN, to create contemporary dishes that showcase the unique qualities and origins of GI ingredients.
- The primary goals are to add value to local GI products, expand their market opportunities, and introduce their regional identity to both Thai and international consumers.
- Special menus feature a variety of GI ingredients from across Thailand, including Surat Thani oysters, Tak Bai salted fish, Trang pepper, and Sa Kaeo mangoes.
The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) is taking local geographical indication (GI) products into the premium dining market through “GI Journey: Taste Map of Thailand”, an initiative that turns distinctive regional ingredients into contemporary fine-dining dishes.
The department staged the latest GI Journey event at KHAAN restaurant in Bangkok on August 13, bringing together Thai GI ingredients, their places of origin and the stories of the communities behind them.
The initiative is intended to add value to GI products, broaden their market opportunities and introduce their regional identity to both Thai and international consumers.
DIP Director-General Auramon Supthaweethum explained that the department has continued to promote greater commercial use of Thai GI products in line with the policy of Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun.
The strategy focuses on moving GI products into higher-value markets by working with chefs, leading restaurants and food businesses to transform regional ingredients into dishes that convey the character and stories of their communities.
GI ingredients reimagined through fine dining
The GI Journey concept connects ingredients directly with their places of origin through a fine-dining experience designed to showcase local identity, culinary knowledge and regional heritage. KHAAN, a contemporary Thai restaurant included in the MICHELIN Guide, joined the project with Chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn.
Chef Aom, Thailand’s first recipient of the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award, is known for combining local ingredients and traditional Thai recipes with modern cooking techniques. Her approach at KHAAN seeks to reinterpret Thai produce while retaining the foundations and identity of the country’s cuisine.
For the project, KHAAN created a special menu using GI ingredients from several regions of Thailand, presenting them through contemporary Thai dishes while highlighting their origins and the communities that produce them.
The menu included tom kha with Surat Thani oysters, selected for their firm texture and naturally sweet flavour, paired with Ban Phaeo aromatic coconut from Samut Sakhon.
Kale with salted fish featured Tak Bai salted kulao fish from Narathiwat, an ingredient recognised for its distinctive aroma and flavour and for reflecting traditional southern food-processing knowledge.
Roast duck red curry brought together several GI products, including Trang pepper, Bo Kluea mountain salt from Nan, Mueang Phet palm sugar from Phetchaburi, and garlic and shallots from Si Sa Ket.
Grilled squid incorporated Mae Hong Son tiger-striped peanuts to add another dimension of flavour and texture.
The dessert selection included mango sticky rice made with Sa Kaeo Nam Dok Mai mangoes, known for their fine, firm flesh, pale yellow colour and naturally fragrant sweetness, giving the familiar Thai dessert a regional GI identity.
Food personalities help broaden awareness of Thai GI products
The event also attracted journalists, food critics, food content creators and figures from Thailand’s culinary and entertainment industries.
Guests included Madame Tuang, a food critic and reviewer; actress, presenter and MasterChef Celebrity Thailand winner Darunee “Pexky Sretunya” Sutiphitak; Surakit “Chef Ping” Khemkaew; actress and presenter Panadda “Boom” Wongphudee; the creator of the Fatty Uncle 2499 food-review page; food and lifestyle creator Daniel “Danny” Blessing; presenter and Chan Thai dessert shop owner Earth Sal; and Suppayot “Gun” Pukahuta, creator of the “2morrowdiet” food-review page.
Participants were also expected to share the stories of Thai GI products and their regional ingredients through media and online platforms, helping raise consumer awareness and expand market exposure for GI producers.
DIP targets premium markets for Thai GI products
Auramon emphasised that GI represents more than an indication of where a product comes from. The designation also reflects local identity, knowledge, culture and ways of life, while offering producers a means of differentiating their products, adding value and strengthening their competitiveness.
The department therefore plans to continue working with the food industry, chefs and other partners to expand the use of Thai GI products. In addition to KHAAN, participating restaurants in “GI Journey: Taste Map of Thailand” include CODA, Nusara, Akkee, Benjarong Bangkok and Nawa Thai Cuisine.
Through the programme, the DIP aims to move Thai GI products further into premium domestic and international markets, create new commercial opportunities and increase income for producer communities, while positioning GI ingredients as distinctive Thai products with international potential.
Diners can experience menus featuring GI ingredients at participating GI Journey restaurants until the end of September 2026. Further information is available through the GI Thailand Facebook page.
