Instructions: As the winds of winter chill my bones, I pack my bags, close my cooking school for the season, and head west across the ocean to the warmth of my country of birth, Thailand.

After a few days to thaw in the tropical heat, I am ready to leave noisy Bangkok for the verdant hills and misty valleys in the northern part of the country.

Life unfolds at a more gentle pace here. Idyllic, family-run garden inns offer many sources of pleasure - among them the sharing of lavish, multiethnic meals in peaceful, riverside settings.

The cuisine of northern Thailand differs from the mainstream Thai cuisine familiar to many Americans, which has origins in the countrys central region.

The ethnic mix of the population reflects the porous borders shared with Myanmar and Laos. Over the centuries, influences from these neighboring countries have flowed into the northern highlands. In addition, refugees from China, many hill tribes and nomadic Chinese traders traversing between China and Persia had roamed and settled in the region.

In the more temperate, mountainous north, the terrain is markedly different from the flat alluvial plains of central Thailand, supporting different kinds of crops. Because it is landlocked and much of the land is hilly, fish and seafood play less of a role. On the other hand, wild game from the forests and pork take on greater significance.

Many well-loved northern dishes are laced with pork. It makes its way into different kinds of sausages - from pinkish, fermented sour sausages, delicious when eaten with pickled garlic, to spicy charcoal-grilled and fried sausages so tasty when eaten with ginger, chiles and peanuts.

Fried pork rinds are common and are among the favorite take-home gifts of visitors to the region. These are especially loved when accompanied by two of the norths best-known dipping sauces (called nam prik) - one made with ground pork stewed in a spicy tomato sauce and the other, a young green, roasted chile pepper dip, flavored with fermented fish and sometimes containing roasted eggplant.

One of my favorite northern pork dishes is the curry called gkaeng hunglay.

It is one of the many dishes arising from the fusion of ethnic influences in the regions cuisine. For 200 of Thailands 700-year history, the northern region was colonized by Burma (now officially known as Myanmar). Many Shan people from Burma settled in the area. Though this curry originally was a Shan food, the simple, mild curry became infused with local cooking flair, transforming it into the more complex, spiced dish that appeals to the northern Thais palate.

Hunglay pork curry is an especially satisfying food during the cooler winter season of the temperate north, when rich foods are better-appreciated. Though this curry, like most northern curries, does not contain the coconut milk that so prevalently enriches mainstream Thai curries, one wouldnt know from its rich and sweet taste. It is one of those dishes I like to make at home on cold days because it takes time to slow-cook the pork to a melting tenderness - in the process warming the kitchen and filling the house with a heavenly aroma.

For best flavor, make this curry a day or two ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend. In the north, it is served with the regions preferred rice - steamed sticky or glutinous rice - but it is equally good with any steamed rice.

Kasma Loha-unchit teaches Thai cooking in Oakland and is author of Dancing

Shrimp: Favorite Thai Recipes for Seafood (Simon & Schuster 2000). She may be contacted through her Web site, www.thaifoodandtravel.com .

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