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Thai Desserts : Desserts and Thai Culture |
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| If
you have ever visited Thailand, you may have
had a chance to see some Thai desserts or khanom that are displayed for sale at many places,
each kind with an attractive shape and bright
colors. They are enticing, aren't they ? The
fact is that Thai desserts offer taste sensations
as impressive as their appearances.Their
appealing looks reflect the nature of the Thais
who are meticulous. The Thais also relatekhanom
to many aspects of their
lives. |
Clockwise from bottom left:
Ja Mogkut,
Thong Yip, Nam Dokmai, Maphrao Kaeo,
Luk Chup and Thong Yot
with Knanom Chan in the center
|
Thai
desserts are mostly made of coconut flesh, coconut cream
and rice flour. Since most areas of the country have been
used for farming purposes, natural ingredients for producing
the desserts are plentiful and easily obtainable. That's
the reason why a wide variety of sweets has been created.
Khanom have been the favourites of the Thais
for hundreds of years. Some types of Thai desserts were
mentioned in Traiphum Phraruang, a literary
work of the Sukhothai period (1238-1350). The popularity
of eating khanom became widespread in the Ayutthaya
period (1350-1767). Some historical records referred to
talat khanom or dessert markets while some mentioned
Ban Mo or pottery villages where earthen pots, pans, stoves
and other equipment for making khanom were made.
The most important person in the history of Thai desserts
was Marie Guimar, a foreign lady who introduced several
exotic desserts to Siam. The lady was born of a Portuguese
father and a Japanese mother in Siam in the reign of King
Narai (1656-1688). Marie was given the Siamese title and
name of Thao Thong Kipma. Her husband was Constantine
Phaulkon, a Greek sailor who rose to the highest non-hereditary
rank of Chao Phraya Wichayen. Marie's husband gained special
favour and trust from King Narai, causing envy and concern
among the native courtiers. Unfortunately, after the king
fell seriously ill, Phaulkon was arrested and put to death
while Marie herself was sent to jail. Marie's life remained
miserable until the reign of King Thaisa (1709-1733),
who recognized the worth and abilities of the lady and
put her in charge of the royal household with as many
as 2,000 women working under her. This provided her with
an opportunity to teach women in the palace the art of
cooking, especially several desserts from Portugal with
yolk and sugar as main ingredients, such as thong
yip, thong yot, foi thong, sankhaya
and mo kaeng. All of these have remained favourite
sweets among the Thais up to the presents.
In
the old days, though khanom was considered just
an addition to a meal that was not essential, its appearance
on a dining table suggested the completeness and importance
of the meal. In the reign of King Rama I (1782-1809),
Prince Narinthonthewi, a brother of the King, wrote in
his Memoirs about the celebration for the establishment
of the Emerald Buddha Temple.
According
to him, Buddhist monks numbering 2,000 were presented
with several kinds of desserts like khao
niao kaeo, i.e. sticky rice cooked in
coconut cream and sugar, kluai chap,
i.e. dried banana slices coated with sugar, and
sangkhaya, i.e. egg custard. The taste
sensations of khanom also impressed King
Rama II (1809-1824) so much that he wrote a poem
admiring the tantalising Thai foods and desserts
of several sorts. The first Siamese cookery book
was published in the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910).
Part of the book gave the instructions for preparing
desserts for offering to the Buddhist monks. |
Clockwise from left:
Thong Yip,
Thong Yot and Foi Thong,
the desserts originatnig from
Portugal that are made of yolk and sugar
|
Thai
desserts have played an important role on auspicious occasions
and ceremonies.
In the past,
some types of khanom were prepared only once
in a year on a special occasion. For example, khaoniao
daeng and kalamae, both made of
glutinous rice, coconut cream and sugar, were produced
on the occasion of Songkran, the traditional Thai NewYear
Festival falling on April 13. As it takes a lot of time
and labour to make these desserts, especially in the kalamae-making
process of stirring flour with other ingredients
to a thick consistency, people living in the same village
or district would come to help each other in preparing
the desserts in a large amount. This was a good chance
for them to develop their friendly relationship and strengthen
unity among them. The desserts of unity then
were taken by them to offer to the Buddhist monks at a
temple. However, this tradition has ceased to exist today.
Clockwise from bottom left:
Kraya sat, Khaoniao Kaeo,
Khaoniao Daeng and Kalamae
|
The
Thai Autumn Festival, falling on the last day
of the 10th Thai lunar month, roughly corresponding
to late September, is a tradition of the Indian
culture brought to Siam by Indian priests and
has survived to this day, even though the Thais
do not have the autumn season. The
heart of this custom is that the people make
merit by taking the usual food, a small species
of banana called kluai khai (egg bananas)
and a special kind of sweetmeat called kraya
sat to a nearby temple to be offered to
the Buddhist monks. |
Kraya
sat is a mixture of shredded rice grains, popped
rice, beans, sesame and coconut meat, ground into meal
and boiled with sugar until it is very thick and forms
into a sticky cake, then cut into portions.
Thewo Alms
Offering, an old tradition taking place on Ok Phansa Day.
i.e. the first day after the end of Buddhist Lent (falling
on the fullmoon day of the 11th lunar month), is held
to celebrate the Lord Buddha's descent from heaven after
having preached to his own mother there. In the early
morning, hundreds of monks, lining up in files in the
temple yard, receive milled rice, dried food and sweets
from the attending people. The special food for this occasion
is khao tom luk yon which is made of
glutinous rice, coconut cream and sugar, and wrapped up
in a palm leaf. The reason for making the dessert in this
form is to facilitate the monks in carrying the sweetmeats
with them when traveling to many regions in order to propagate
the Buddhist doctrines.
Thong Ek, a kind of sweetmeat
symbolizing fame and wealth |
On
other propitious occasions on which the monks are
invited to give prayers for blessing, the host usually
entertains the monks and guests to a lunch. To complete
the meal, some sweetmeats are served. The reason
for the addition of the desserts derives from the
Thai inherited belief the khanom is a special
dish for meritorious people. Moreover, khanom
is a sign of friendship and love. |
The sorts of sweetmeat that are popularly prepared for
the propitious occasions include those with the names
of lucky meanings. For instance, the desserts have the
names beginning with the world "thong"
or gold, like thong yip, thong yot and
thong ek. The Thais believe that gold will bring
good luck to them. It symbolizes fame and wealth. Maphrao
kaeo (glass) made of dried candied shredded coconut
flesh has the meaning of the magic glass ball. Khanom
tan (tan means sugar palm) which is made
of the flesh and sugar from the palm, signifies a sweet
and smooth life.
The
desserts also make their appearance in a wedding banquet.
In addition, in the past the Thais made a special kind
of dessert called sam (three) kloe (friends),
made of flour, mold in three small balls attached with
each other and then fried in oil. It was a Thai belief
that the shapes of sam kloe when heated could
foretell the future marriage life of the newly weds. If
the three balls still attached to each other, it signaled
a happy marriage life. If one ball came apart while the
other two still joined togerther, it meant that the couple
would have no children. If all the three ball were separated
from each other, this would be a bad sign for the bride
and groom, indicating an unsuccessful marriage. In addition,
if the sweetmeat did not expand when heated, it also suggested
the same negative meaning.
Ja Mongkut, crown-like
yellow sweetmeats
that in the past persons of lower
ranks often gave to their seniors |
In
the old days, a Thai presented khanom to
another as a token of gratitude or an expression
of gladness for that person's success. The one who
was promoted to a high rank would receive the gift
of ja (chief) mongkut (crown),
a kind of crown-like yellow sweetmeat mainly made
of yolk and sugar. Because of the auspicious meaning
of each word constituting its name, only very good
or special persons deserved this kind of khanom. |
There was a kind of sweetmeat that a senior often gave
to a person of lower rank.
It was luk chup, a sweetmeat in the shape of
a model fruit made of pounded soya beans mixed with
coconut flesh and sugar and coated with natural colors.
The lovely shapes of this khanom suggested
the tender care that the giver had for the receiver.
As time passed, though some of these traditions and
beliefs have been forgotten in Thai society, most kinds
of desserts still exist. Their tantalising tastes always
leave a lingering impression on the tongue of its taster.
This is the significant reason why Thai desserts never
die.
There are arrays of Thai sweetmeats for sale at many
places ranging from sidewalk stalls, markets and small
shops to top department stores.
Related links
Desserts and Thai Cultures
Thong Yip (sweet egg yolk cup) & How to Cook
Foi
Thong (sweet shredded egg yolk) & How to Cook
Bua
Loi (glutinous-rice flour balls in coconut cream) & How to Cook
Luk
Chup (fruit-shape desserts) & How to Cook
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