Thailand's star chefs go wild for local food

BANGKOK -- Thailand's top chefs, including a growing number presiding over Michelin-starred kitchens, are leading an upsurge in interest in artisanal food suppliers. But behind the country's thriving farm-to-table revolution are hundreds of local entrepreneurs, including a former engineer who built an organic coffee plantation with his own hands and a retired United Nations diplomat producing Thai wagyu beef.

Within just a few years, local wagyu, Thai camembert, truffled brie and burrata cheeses and even Thai caviar have begun supplementing the country's export crops of bananas and rice. Meanwhile, a literal "grass roots" movement has introduced new flavors, organic methods and principles along with higher profits for small-scale producers.