The Elegance of Khanohm Khaang Khaao (ขนมค้างคาว)
If palaces represent grandeur and wealth within a society, and poems often focus on emotional experience or the beauty of language, then the significance of a dumpling may be inferred by its structured elegance and minimalism – each fold and pleat a deliberate act, and each filling a curated experience constructing comfort in its most elemental form. Khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) is a traditional Siamese fried, triangular-shaped dumpling with obvious Chinese origins. Its earliest recorded recipe can be traced back to Jao Khraawk Thaawng Yuu (เจ้าครอกทองอยู่), a distinguished aristocrat from the royal court of Ayutthaya. Historical records indicate that, from the early days of the Rattanakosin era, her recipe was a favored snack within the Siamese royal court. These dumplings are shaped like triangles and, according to some, resemble bats: For this reason, they are called khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) – ‘the bat’s treat’. The dumpling’s dough is made from rice and mung bean flours; its filling is prepared by combining grated coconut and shrimp meat, which are cooked together into a dense, flavorful mixture that brings out the nutty-sweet taste of the grated coconut and the savory-sweet flavors of the shrimp. Kaffir lime leaves, sliced into hair-thin juliennes, add a hint of citrus.
Fried Dried Fish with Watermelon (ผัดปลาแห้งแตงอุลิต ; phat bplaa haaeng dtaaeng oo lit)
Fried Dried Fish with Watermelon (ผัดปลาแห้งแตงอุลิต ; phat bplaa haaeng dtaaeng oo lit)
Here is a summer dish that showcases the wisdom of creating complex flavors through simplicity. Using just lightly salted semi-dried snakehead fish, golden deep-fried shallots and a sweetening agent (either sugar or coconut), we create a condiment that partners perfectly with pieces of sweet juicy watermelon.
Emperor's Hong Te Rice Vermicelli (หมี่ฮ่องเต้; mee haawng dteh)
Emperor's Hong Te Rice Vermicelli (หมี่ฮ่องเต้; mee haawng dteh)
Emperor's Hong Te Rice Vermicelli, a royal Thai dish combining delicate shredded chicken and crab meat over rice noodles. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.
khaao-bping grilled in banana leaves
Khaao bping - grilled banana leaf parcels filled with fermented shrimp paste relish seasoned rice, sweet pork, and crispy garlic (ข้าวปิ้ง อย่างพระวิมาดาเธอ หม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์)
Khaao bping (ข้าวปิ้ง) is a dish of seasoned rice mixed with sweet pork and crispy fried garlic, then wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Unwrapping the parcel reveals a slightly charred rice cake that melts into a pleasantly chewy, smoky, and deliciously savory treat. Created by using basic ingredients of Siamese cuisine, the dish can be served on a bed of banana leaves or on fine porcelain plates, thus touching the hearts of diners from all walks of life.
"Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain" Fermented Rice Noodles (ขนมจีนครามแดง; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)
"Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain" Fermented Rice Noodles (ขนมจีนครามแดง; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)
Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain Fermented Rice Noodles featuring a coconut sauce infused with roasted shallots, garlic and mung beans. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.
Cancer Crab Egg Noodles (บะหมี่กรกฎ; ba mee gaaw ra goht)
Cancer Crab Egg Noodles (บะหมี่กรกฎ; ba mee gaaw ra goht)
Ba mee gaaw ra goht, puffed deep-fried egg noodles topped with crab, shrimp, and salted duck egg yolk balls. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Miang on Golden Trays (เมี่ยงถาดทอง; miang thaat thaawng)
Miang on Golden Trays (เมี่ยงถาดทอง; miang thaat thaawng) (กระทงทอง)
Miang thaat thaawng, palm-pressed fried pastry cups filled with crab, pork, pickled garlic, and bitter orange zest. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Pork liver and firm pork fat fried in batter (มันสลับตับสุกร; man salap dtap soogaawn)
Pork liver and firm pork fat fried in batter (มันสลับตับสุกร; man salap dtap soogaawn)
Roman Tube Noodles (Macaroni) (แป้งหลอดโรมัน; bpaaeng laawt ro:h man)
Roman Tube Noodles (Macaroni) (แป้งหลอดโรมัน; bpaaeng laawt ro:h man)
Roman Tube Noodles, a 1945 Thai-Western fusion dish with rich duck broth and macaroni. From Jeeb Bunnag's 'Cookbook of Desserts, Tea Accompaniments, and Snacks or Appetizers'.
miang kham ; เมี่ยงคำ
Miang kham - A royal leaf wrap appetizer เมี่ยงคำ
Each leaf-wrapped parcel is a kaleidoscope of flavors and richness, textures, aromas and sensations. Fresh green-earthy-chlorophyll-herby-tobacco-peppery wild betel leaves enfold bursts of flavor from nutty roasted peanuts and crispy roasted coconut matches, the umami of savory dry shrimp, pungent-sweet diced shallots, small ginger cubes with a warm bite, sour and bitter unpeeled lime cubes, citrusy perfumed diced bitter orange (som za), naughty whole fresh tiny bird’s eye chilies, and small slices of the sharp and sour dtaling bpling (Averrhoa bilimbi, a relative of the carambola/starfuit). All of which is blended with a thick paste of sweet-sour and salty palm sugar and tamarind sauce. The miang kham takes every taste bud on a fascinating pleasure trip through sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and umami, piquancy, sharpness and spiciness, with an array of textures that slowly subside as the journey ends, leading to a familiar post orgasmic expression, a smile and the desire for more.
Thong Yip Naan Nueng (ทองหยิบนานนึ่ง; thaawng yip naan neung)
Thong Yip Naan Nueng (ทองหยิบนานนึ่ง; thaawng yip naan neung)
Thong Yip Naan Nueng, mold-fried wheat batter with crab, pork, and chicken, inverted mid-fry until golden. From Gingganok Gaanjanaaphaa, 1935.
Taro and Crab Fritters (ทอดมันปูเผือก; thaawt man bpuu pheuuak)
Taro and Crab Fritters (ทอดมันปูเผือก; thaawt man bpuu pheuuak)
Thaawt man bpuu pheuuak: finely shredded taro and sea crab in coconut-cream batter, fried in flat molds. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Perplexing Mee Suaa (หมี่สั้วฉงน; mee suaa cha ngohn)
Perplexing Mee Suaa (หมี่สั้วฉงน; mee suaa cha ngohn)
Mee suaa cha ngohn: wheat noodle bundles bound with shrimp-corn paste, steamed, served in clear pork-crab broth. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Torpedo Fish - Torpedo Fish - Steamed Stuffed Squid (ปลาตอปิโดตุ๋น; bplaa dtaaw bpi do:h dtoon)
Torpedo Fish - Torpedo Fish - Steamed Stuffed Squid (ปลาตอปิโดตุ๋น; bplaa dtaaw bpi do:h dtoon)
Torpedo Fish - Steamed Stuffed Squid features small squid filled with crab-pork mixture and sweet corn. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai appetizers.
phat-phrik-khing
Old-Fashioned Phat Phrik Khing, Yesteryear's Travel Food (ผัดพริกขิง อาหารคนเดินทาง)
Fermented Rice Noodles and Golden Coconut Chicken Sauce with an Indian Flair (ไก่ต้มขนมจีบ; gai dtohm khohn ma jeep)
Fermented Rice Noodles and Golden Coconut Chicken Sauce with an Indian Flair (ไก่ต้มขนมจีบ; gai dtohm khohn ma jeep)
Gai dtohm khohn ma jeep, a coconut-simmered chicken sauce with Indian influences served with fermented rice noodles. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.
Chicken Corn (ข้าวโพดไก่; khaao pho:ht gai)
Chicken Corn (ข้าวโพดไก่; khaao pho:ht gai)
Chicken Corn, a delicate Thai snack where thinly sliced corn is simmered in chicken stock with shredded breast meat and salted egg yolk. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.
Rice Crust Crackers in Savory Broth (ข้าวตังล่องชล; khaao dtang laawng chohn) - Sauced Refreshments (อาหารว่างอย่างน้ำ)
Rice Crust Crackers in Savory Broth (ข้าวตังล่องชล; khaao dtang laawng chohn) - Sauced Refreshments (อาหารว่างอย่างน้ำ)
Khaao dtang laawng chohn, crispy rice crackers served with umami-rich seafood broth. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai appetizers.
Sticky Rice with Golden Fish Topping (ข้าวเหนียวหน้าปลาทอง; khaao niaao naa plaa thaawng)
Sticky Rice with Golden Fish Topping (ข้าวเหนียวหน้าปลาทอง; khaao niaao naa plaa thaawng)
Sticky Rice with Golden Fish Topping features coconut-infused glutinous rice topped with crispy sweet-savory fish floss and fried shallots. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 cookbook of Thai desserts.
Miiang Kha Nohm Laeh Lai (เมี่ยงขนมเลไลย; miiang kha nohm laeh lai)
Miiang Kha Nohm Laeh Lai (เมี่ยงขนมเลไลย; miiang kha nohm laeh lai)
Miiang kha nohm laeh lai, split sweets topped with boiled prawn and pork fat, with a sour tomalley dressing. From Mrs. Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953.
Alternating Colored Conch Shells (สังข์สลับสี; sang sa lap see)
Alternating Colored Conch Shells (สังข์สลับสี; sang sa lap see)
Alternating Colored Conch Shells, multicolored dumplings tinted with natural dyes and shaped like conch shells. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 dessert cookbook.
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