About Thai Kitchen

Our History

Thai Kitchen was founded in 1989 when Seth Jacobson made his first trip to Asia. It was during this first trip to Thailand that he fell in love with the land, the people and the cuisine. At an outdoor market in the center of a Thai village, he discovered the secret of why Thai cuisine is so astonishingly complex, rich and flavorful. He noticed these authentic Thai dishes were made with an intricate combination of fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind, Thai sweet basil, galangal, fish sauce and jasmine rice. Seth realized the Thai diet (based on grains, vegetables, herbs and spices) was perfectly positioned for the American market where consumers seek new exciting flavors and foods that are healthy.

Being raised in the specialty food industry, he immediately saw the potential for this exotic and flavorful cuisine. Realizing this excellent opportunity to combine his knowledge of specialty foods with his newfound passion for the cuisine of Thailand, he began to develop relationships with Thai ingredient suppliers. At the time, there were no domestic suppliers providing Thai staple items like fish sauce, coconut milk and fresh curry pastes. He wanted to create an authentic Thai product line but knew that he could not achieve the true flavors of Thai cuisine by using ingredients found domestically. Therefore, he chose to work closely with Thai farmers to create the true authentic flavors of Thailand.

In October of 1990, Thai Kitchen's first shipment, arriving at the port of Oakland, California, consisted of 8 core items representing the backbone of Thai cooking. Thai Kitchen sought to make Thai cooking easy for American consumers by providing easy-to-follow recipes, tantalizing descriptions and serving suggestions. Retailers and consumers embraced the product line with enthusiasm, especially with its upscale and engaging packaging. Thai restaurants were cropping up all over California and the West, where consumers were delighted to find that they could recreate the dishes they had enjoyed in their favorite restaurant at home. Seth Jacobson's commitment to a truly authentic Thai product line and desire to share his love of Thai cuisine and culture fueled the growth of the brand as well as the need to expand the product line.

Thai Kitchen has come a long way from the early days when Seth Jacobson sold curry pastes and fish sauce out of the trunk of his car to a handful of Bay Area accounts. Today, Thai Kitchen has over 50 products and is sold in 50 states, Canada and Japan. The product line features Thai ingredients, packaged entrees and side dishes and microwavable meals, which help the consumer to get authentic Thai taste with less preparation time. Thai Kitchen is now found on the shelves of gourmet food shops, natural food stores, green grocers, ethnic markets, grocery stores and mass merchandisers. Thai Kitchen offers everything the American consumer is seeking: taste, quality, authenticity... the best of Thailand. With offices in the United States and Thailand, the company plans to continue to develop unique and delicious products bringing consumers the sights, smells and flavors of Thailand.