Ashley Thuthao Keng Dam, M.Sc., Ph.D

Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands

School: University of Gastronomic Sciences

Expertise: Recipe development; beer, wine & cocktails; food news; restaurants; travel; food trends

Ashley Thuthao Keng Dam, M.Sc., Ph.D

7 years writing about food and nutrition with a research focus on the use of local flora in foods and traditional medicine in Cambodia
Course architect and lecturer on pop culture and food studies for Universita degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche
National Geographic Society Explorer for the project Plant Planet Plate on the foraged foods of Cambodia
Host of Bites of the Round Table, a podcast focused on stories about food from gastronomes around the globe

Experience

Ashley "Thao" Dam is a Khmer and Vietnamese American academic and creative who specializes in food and nutrition. They bring personal insight and academic background into their work with Taste of Home, from sharing their guide to making Vietnamese coffee to explaining what’s true and what’s not about MSG. Thao currently works as a lecturer at Maastrich University in the Netherlands and teaches on food, foraged edible plants and health. Even after years of studying eco-gastronomy in northern Italy and discovering the marvels of local slow food and cuisine, Thao still loves instant mac and cheese smothered in Sriracha sauce.

Education

St. Mary's College of Maryland, bachelor's degrees in sociology and anthropology
University of Oxford, master's in medical anthropology
University of Gastronomic Sciences-Pollenzo, doctorate in ecogastronomy, education and society

Articles & Recipes