Snacks and light meals recipes (ตำราอาหารว่างอย่างไทย) Archives

The Ambassador’s House Style Rice Vermicelli in Broth (หมี่น้ำบ้านราชทูต; mee naam baan raat thuut)

The Ambassador's House Style Rice Vermicelli features crispy rice noodles in a complex sweet-sour broth with multiple proteins. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Pork liver and firm pork fat fried in batter (มันสลับตับสุกร; man salap dtap soogaawn)

Beautiful Rice (ข้าวโฉมงาม; khaao chohm ngaam)

Beautiful Rice, turmeric-infused rice with crab and chicken served in hollowed tomato cups. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 Thai cookbook.

Decorated Corn (ข้าวโพดประดับ; khaao pho:ht bpra dap)

Decorated Corn, a palace-style appetizer featuring spiced chicken molded around baby corn and adorned with kernels. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 Thai cookbook.

Naam Yaa Jeen - Fermented Rice Noodles with Chinese Sauce by HRH Prince Krom Luang Pitak Montri (น้ำยาจีน อย่างกรมหลวงพิทักษมนตรี)

Among the various curries that can be poured over khanom jeen fermented rice noodles, this broth, known as Chinese-style “naam yaa,” is unique in that it is a water-based curry that does not have chilies. As such, rather than the typical reddish-rust color of most coconut-based naam ya dishes from the Central Plains of the Kingdom, the sauce glows with a soft, light ivory hue, beautifully reflecting the dish’s natural sweet-savoriness, which is derived from slow-braising three proteins – chicken, pork and shrimp – along with a curry paste galvanized by smoke-dried fish and aromatic roots like galangal, fingerroot and sand ginger. The naam ya broth is served over a bed of fermented rice noodles and garnished with toppings such as delicate pulled chicken breast threads, golden-crispy fried shallots and garlic, and vivid green fresh coriander leaves and spring onion. All these elements add a visual grace and a hint of freshness to the robust broth – the signature dish of Prince Krom Luang Pitak Montri (กรมหลวงพิทักษ์มนตรี).

Steamed Dumplings with Scalloped Edges (ปั้นขลิบนึ่ง; bpan khlip neung)

Steamed Dumplings with Scalloped Edges featuring a savory pork, chicken, and peanut filling wrapped in a special rice flour dough. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 royal cookbook.

Spiced Skewers of Grilled Pork Neck and Firm Pork Fat with Fresh Pineapple (หมูปิ้งสัปปะรด; Muu Bping Sapbparoht)

Known as muu bping sapbparoht (หมูปิ้งสัปปะรด) and translated as grilled pork with pineapple, this dish showcases cubes of grilled pork meat and firm fat with fresh pineapple. The pork meat is marinated in light soy sauce and an array of dry spices, giving it earthy and slightly spicy notes. The cubes are then threaded onto skewers, interspersed with evenly sliced pieces of firm pork fat. When grilled, these pieces of pork fat introduce an additional layer of richness and juiciness to the meat. The preferred cut of choice for this dish is pork neck, a cut highly valued for its optimal ratio of lean meat to fat, culminating in a pleasingly succulent texture when grilled. In Thai cuisine, it is common practice to sprinkle grated coconut over glowing charcoal while grilling. The heat-induced combustion of aromatic fats within the coconut introduces an additional dimension of sweet, smoky richness to the dish. Meanwhile, the charring of the edges of the meat catalyzes the caramelization of its natural sugars, yielding a delightful sweetness that further enhances the smoky undertones of the meat.

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'.

c1936 Arabian noodles – Princess Maao Thongthaem’s Siamese-Orientalist fermented rice noodles light meal (ขนมจีนอาหรับ อย่าง เม้า ทองแถม; khanohm jeen aarap)

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.

Rice Crackers with Sichuan Style Naa Dtang Savory Topping (น่าตั้งเสฉวน; naa dtang saeh chuaan)

Naa dtang saeh chuaan, a seafood-meat umami topping served with assorted crispy accompaniments. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai appetizers.

bplaa naaem (ปลาแนม) - A Siamese aristocratic small plate snack

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.

c1908 Fermented rice noodles and golden coconut chicken sauce with an Indian flair (ขนมจีนแขก หรือ ไก่ต้มขนมจีน ; khanohm jeen khaaek)

Clear Soup with Fish Balls (แกงจืดลูกชิ้นปลา; gaaeng jeuut luuk chin bplaa)

Gaaeng jeuut luuk chin bplaa, clear soup with Bronze featherback fish balls pounded and slapped until sticky. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Miang Sot (เมี่ยงซด) - Miiang Soht, circa 1928

The word ‘miang’ is often used to designate Thai hors d’oeuvre-like snacks consisting of various ingredients wrapped in leaves. To chew on a miang parcel delivers a delightful melee of flavors and textures, each triumphing over the other in a continuous transformation, creating a captivating and ever-evolving taste experience throughout the bite. Miang sot is a fermented leaves dish that appeared in a cookbook published in honor of Thao Suphatigaanapakdee (also known as Prik Sirisamphan) (ท้าวสุภัติการภักดี (ปริก ศิริสัมพันธ์)), in 1928. Titled Gap Khaao Thai (กับข้าวไทย), the book features a collection of recipes that were once prepared and served to King Chulalongkorn Rama V. The author, Sohmboon Sirisamphan (เถ้าแก่ สมบุญ ศิริสัมพันธ์) a respected elder (known as thao gaae (เถ้าแก่) in Thai), was a distinguished businessman of Chinese origins. The dish is composed of fermented tea leaves; it is perhaps the closest tea leaves wrap to the ‘miang’ style introduced to the Siamese court by Princess Dara Rasami in the late 1800s. The dish gives us a glimpse of flavor of what her household, which participated in the informal marketplace events within the palace, might have to offer. The popularity of miang in Siamese cuisine is tied to the history of two kingdoms, Siam and Lanna, and the life of one princess, Princess Dara Rasami. The daughter of King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai and the fifth consort of King Chulalongkorn, the princess was selected at the age of thirteen, in 1886, to serve as a consort to King Chulalongkorn in the Inner Palace; the decision was shaped by both political strategy and personal transition. At the time, Siam was consolidating its power and extending its influence over neighboring regions, including Lanna. As the ruler of Chiang Mai, Princess Dara Rasami’s father, Intawichayanon, viewed the move as a strategic alliance. In return, King Chulalongkorn presented him with the medal of the Order of Chula Chom Klao, which is the Siamese equivalent of a knighthood.

Khmer Rice Noodles with Fish Relish (ขนมจีนเขมร; jeen khaeh maawn)

Khmer Rice Noodles with Fish Relish features smoke-dried barb fish prepared through a four-stage process with aromatic herbs. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 cookbook.

Chicken Krayakhu, Delicate Chicken and Crab Young Rice Porridge (ไก่กระยาคู; gai gra yaa khuu)

Chicken Krayakhu, a refined porridge combining ground young rice with chicken, crab meat and fresh ginger. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of aristocratic Thai cuisine.

Baked Massaman (มัสหมั่นขาวอบ; mat man khaao ohp)

Baked Massaman, a molded rice dish with spiced beef and pickled garnishes. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai tea accompaniments and snacks.

Old-Fashioned Phat Phrik Khing, Yesteryear's Travel Food (ผัดพริกขิง อาหารคนเดินทาง)

grilled-banana-leaf-parcels-with-chicken-fried-rice

Grilled banana leaf parcels filled with butter-fried rice with chicken, chicken offal and dried spices, served with a sour-sweet coconut-base vegetable relish (ข้าวงบไก่ อาจาดอังวะ ; khaao ngohp gai aajaat angwa)

The khaao ngohp gai (ข้าวงบไก่) recipe by Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (Princess Saisawali Phirom) evokes the flavor and aesthetics of Muslim-style cooking. First, cooked rice, chicken, and chicken offal are fried with butter and perfumed with whole spices. The buttery fried rice is wrapped in banana leaves and then grilled, forming a crispy outer crust of spiced-infused rice grains.

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