Miang kham is a leaf-wrapped hors d’oeuvre that, in addition to its ingredients, binds together the history of two kingdoms, tea culture and the life of one queen.
Pouches of Goodness Miang kham is made from wrapping various ingredients into wild piper leaves (chaphlu, ชะพลู, Piper sarmentosum, wild betel), composing a single bite parcel.
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.
This desire for more is most likely what underlay ML Neuuang Ninrat’s (หม่อมหลวงเนื่อง นิลรัตน์) version of the leaf rolls she calls miang yaak, (“desired for” miang, เมี่ยงอยาก). In a memoir describing her life in the royal courts of Kings Rama V and VI, ML Ninrat utilizes pork crackling, palm sugar, fermented shrimp paste and other common ingredients found in every traditional Thai kitchen to compose the ultimate bite.
Even HM King Rama VI (1880-1925), renowned as both an accomplished writer of numerous poems, songs and plays and a translator of many foreign works into Thai, noted in his literary work:
“miang kham makes me hungry, and so do miang sa maaw and miang bplaa thuu” (sa maaw: sour fruits of the myrobalan wood tree, bplaa thuu: mackerel)
If you have yet to taste miang kham, we promise that you will never forget your first bite. If you are already familiar with it, we’d bet that you can remember your first time.
Pouches of Energy The habit of chewing on leaf parcels is still a common practice along the winding Horse Road trade routes, which carry dry and fermented tea leaves from Yunnan in southwest China, crossing Laos and Burma on their way to the west.
Tea leaves are steamed and then left to ferment in large baskets. They are rolled into small balls, and put into the mouth; tucked between the cheek and the tongue, these pouches of energy are sucked and chewed, delivering doses of caffeine and liveliness into one’s bloodstream.
It is not uncommon to see rolls where dry shallots, chilies, peanuts and lime are added, perhaps to offset the rough, unripe bitterness.
In Burma, fermented tea leaves have gained the status of a national dish, lahpet, considered a gesture of hospitality and ancient symbolic offering of peace.
Queen Dara Rasamee (เจ้าดารารัศมี พระราชชายา) Harmony and close relationships between ancient kingdoms were often generated via marriages among royal families. Such was the arranged marriage between the Northern princess and the King of Siam, King Rama V, seven years before Lanna was fully annexed into Siam.
Queen Dara Rasamee arrived with her father, King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai, to the Siamese court in 1886. Her Northern manners and long hair were unfamiliar to the other queen consorts.
She was appointed by King Rama V to oversee the Court’s internal affairs, and through her direction, the culture of eating miang grew popular among the royal circles. The recipe for miang was subsequently adapted and improved, and published in the old cookbooks of Thai cuisine.
Miang kham was officially mentioned in the literary work of King Rama VI, which indicates that it was one of the royal snacks served in the palace at the time; and very likely unknown before the arrival of Queen Dara Rasamee. A new term was used for the snack: “bite-size snack” or miang kham.
Cook it yourself One of the reasons for the dish’s popularity these days is that its ingredients are readily available.
There are two important stages in the preparation of the dish: cutting and roasting the coconuts, and making the sauce.
So, get your family and friends together, because making miang kham is a fantastically fun activity. Relaxing, perfect for the summer time, it brings every member of the family closer in a delightfully delicious pastime.
Cooking tips:
Try eating miang kham with young thaawng laang leaves (Erythrina orientalis; ใบทองหลางอ่อน)
For the roasted coconut, select a semi-mature coconut that is not too tough and still easy to slice. Select a coconut with a golden-brown shell.
Miang kham Recipe
Hanuman and Chef Thapakorn Lertviriyavit (Gorn)
Miang kham is made from wrapping various ingredients into wild piper leaves (chaphlu, ชะพลู, Piper sarmentosum, wild betel), composing a single bite parcel. 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.
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.
Seasoned rice dishes have been a staple of rice-consuming societies almost since the first grains were cultivated. Adapted according to local resources, traditions and individual preferences, seasoned rice dishes are relished and savored across all walks of life. Within Siamese society, these dishes offer insight into the flavor instincts and eating habits across all demographics, revealing which food items were locally available and valued.
In this delicious seasoned rice recipe from the kitchens of the daughter of King Chulalongkorn, Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) (1884-1934), the Princess uses a variety of common preserved and inexpensive ingredients, clearly drawing inspiration from the cuisine of the Central Plains with nods to the rural and coastal living atmosphere.
กุ้งแนม” หรือ “กุ้งซ่อนกลิ่น – Goong naaem (goong saawn glin) according to the 1908 recipe in Lady Plean Passakornrawong’s “Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa (ตำราแม่ครัวหัวป่าก์)” cookbook. Flaky acid-cooked shrimp and the pork fat, along with thinly sliced roasted peanuts and very small unpeeled diced bitter orange (ส้มซ่า som saa), plus paper-thin slices of pickled garlic and julienned fresh red long chili peppers are mixed and seasoned with shrimp tomalley dressing. It is served in wrapped squares, using iceberg lettuce and young thaawng laang leaves.
The khaao ngohp goong (ข้าวงบกุ้ง) of Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (Princess Saisawali Phirom) is a dish of seasoned curried rice mixed with shrimp meat, shrimp tomalley, grated coconut, and herbs. The rice mix is then wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Unwrapping the parcel reveals an intense orange- and russet-brown colored rice cake that is rich, savory and naturally sweet. It is served with a drizzle of thickened coconut cream and herbs.
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Gain access to NEW MONTHLY masterclasses as they become available.
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
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one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.
You will get everything you need to:
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
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