One summer morning I was sitting at an old cafe in Northern Thailand trying to find the meaning of my life.

At the next table there was an old man sipping coffee and enjoying a plate of pa tong koh (a delicious Thai pastry).

The look of wonder on my face led him to start a conversation. “What are you doing here?”, he asked. “I don’t know,” I said. “Looking for something.”

As our conversation went on, I guessed we both were looking for something. Eventually he offered to teach me how to cook if I paid him “One Baht.” A symbolic price with no economic value, One Baht is paid as a sign of respect to those who transmit wisdom.

It turned out he was a famous Thai master chef. That is how my Banyan Thai cooking sauces began. I found my destiny that day.