Phuket committee shortlists six local dishes for ‘The Lost Taste’ campaign
Phuket’s provincial food selection committee has shortlisted six local dishes for possible entry in the Ministry of Culture’s “The Lost Taste” campaign, part of a fiscal 2026 effort to preserve traditional cuisine.
Phuket officials have shortlisted six local dishes for possible inclusion in the Ministry of Culture’s “1 Province, 1 Menu, Celebrating Local Food” campaign.
The Phuket Provincial food selection committee met at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday, May 26, to consider dishes for the programme. The meeting was chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Suwit Phansengiam and attended by Acting Chief of the Phuket Provincial Cultural Office Supawadee Paipakk and Phuket Provincial Cultural Council Chairman Somsak Sophanon.
Officials said the initiative is part of the fiscal 2026 project to promote and develop local cuisine as a form of Thai cultural heritage and identity under the “Thailand Best Local Food – The Lost Taste” programme organised by the Department of Cultural Promotion.
According to officials, the project is intended to identify traditional dishes that are at risk of disappearing from Thai society while preserving local culinary knowledge and wisdom for future generations. It also aims to support the use of local ingredients and herbs to create economic value for communities and encourage younger people to appreciate and eat traditional food.
Six Phuket dishes were submitted for consideration: Phuket Stir-fried Coconut Salad with Vegetables, Bie Tai Bug, Phuket Sour Soup, Huat Chu Thung, Southern Cave Fish and Gaeng Tumee.
Officials said the dishes reflect the identity, lifestyle and traditional wisdom of Phuket communities.
Submitted dishes are assessed under five criteria: local identity and wisdom, risk of extinction, use of local ingredients and environmental connection, nutritional and medicinal value of herbs, and potential for creative economic development. The scoring system carries a total of 100 points.
Phuket Province will now review and select the most outstanding menus in line with the Department of Cultural Promotion’s criteria before forwarding the results to the ministry for further consideration.
