A Short Guide To The Food At Kamalaya

Some of the oldest Asian healing philosophies, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, have always looked to food as the medicine of choice. At Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand, they combine this philosophy with current medical research to take a more informed and precise approach to healing with food.

Kamalaya offers artful and inspired cuisine that is healing in function and tantalising in form. Merging culinary traditions of East and West and using fresh, tropical and, where possible, organic produce, the menus include extensive vegetarian options as well as seafood, poultry and lamb dishes. The food changes with the seasons, as it should, and different months bring different delights. Fresh juices, signature tonics and herbal teas are bursting with nutrients, medicinal properties and taste-bud tempting goodness, and the delicious Detox Cuisine, which features only low inflammatory, low allergenic and low GI vegetarian dishes, dispels the myth that ridding your body of toxins means depriving yourself of sensory pleasure.

Because food is an essential part of our daily life, it is the perfect vehicle to provide the support necessary for enhanced vitality and optimal health. All holistic medical traditions have regarded food as the "first medicine"

Co-created by Karina Stewart, Kamalaya Co-founder and a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Executive Chef Rajesh Sharma, Kamalaya Cuisine plays a vital role in our integral wellness concept. The menus are influenced by Karina's wealth of knowledge in functional medicine and cellular detoxification, and brought to vibrant life through Rajesh's passion for using local ingredients and cooking methods in healthy and innovative ways.

Kamalaya Cuisine reflects the retreat's philosophy of healthy living and the celebration of different cultures, featuring fresh and healthy dishes with enough sumptuous twist to satisfy the most discerning gourmet palates. It all begins with ingredients – fresh, healthy and nutrient-rich, because you can't take energy from food which has none to give. Fresh herbs and spices are used generously to add flavour and enhance the medicinal value, and foods are served close to their natural state, with healthy cooking methods and no microwaves, processed foods or additives.

Kamalaya's menus include a selection of nutritious "raw food' dishes, incorporating simple interpretations such as salads as well as lightly fermented foods with high enzyme content. Kamalaya Cuisine is not exclusively "raw food', as appropriately cooked foods have highly digestible nutrition value whereas "raw food' can be difficult for some individuals to digest.

Kamalaya Cuisine embodies a sensible approach to dining that aims to educate and inspire guests to develop a more thoughtful and enriching relationship with food. Their menus include a small sampling of "indulge' dishes to simulate the "real' world and teach their guests the principles of balance and moderation. Their philosophy is pragmatic and realistic and seeks to inspire rather than dictate, and Chef Kai Muller's masterful interpretation of food as medicine serves up health with generous helpings of culinary flair.