Radio New Zealand Interview with Lauren Lulu Taylor - Real Thai Food and How to Replicate it at Home

Real Thai Food, From My Kitchen to Yours

Before Secret Kiwi Kitchen had a Thai Spice Mix, Thai food had already shaped the way I cook.

In 2024, shortly after the launch of my cookbook Real Thai Cooking, I was invited to speak along with her on Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon about real Thai food and how home cooks can replicate it in their own kitchens.

The conversation focused on authenticity, regional influences, and how to achieve balance and depth of flavour, even when cooking far from Thailand.

Real Thai Cooking was written with my friend Bangkok-based food writer Chawadee (Chow) Nualkhair, author of the blog Bangkok Glutton. We came together through our children’s friendship, bonded over food, and decided to create a book that combined authentic Thai recipes with the history and regional context behind them. When COVID disrupted travel and supply chains, the book was completed across distance, with a strong focus on helping home cooks through thoughtful ingredient substitutions.

That same philosophy now lives on in Secret Kiwi Kitchen, most recently through our Thai Spice Mix.

This blend is not about heat for heat’s sake. It reflects the foundations of Thai cooking: aromatics, warmth, balance, and harmony. It’s designed to help home cooks build confident flavour, whether they’re cooking Thai-inspired dishes or simply adding depth to everyday meals.

Looking back, it feels like a natural progression. Thai food has always been a favourite takeaway, but my work has been about bringing those flavours home, respectfully and accessibly. From cookbook to radio conversation to spice blend, the thread has remained the same.

You can listen to the full interview here:
👉 Real Thai Food and How to Replicate It in Your Kitchen (Radio New Zealand)

If you’ve enjoyed cooking with our Thai Spice Mix, this conversation offers a deeper look at the thinking behind it.

x Lulu
Founder, Secret Kiwi Kitchen

Lauren Lulu Taylor is the founder of Secret Kiwi Kitchen, a New Zealand–made food brand known for premium baking mixes, global-inspired spice blends, and edible flowers. She is the author of Real Thai Cooking and Feasting on Flowers, and has spent years immersed in Thai food culture. Lulu works hands-on in the business, developing recipes and products designed to make home cooking simple, flavourful, and meaningful.