Khao Chae - Essential of Thai Summer Dishes

By: Vipp Rongsit
Every April it seems as though everybody in Thailand is sweltering in the hot sun and getting ready for the Songkran water throwing festival. Gourmet Thai cooks are busy preparing their special cool-off dish called "Khao Chae". rice soaked in scented water and topped with ice.

Eating rice in cold water may sound just as appealing to people, not so accustomed to eating rice, as eating bread soaked in orange juice. It is an acquired taste and one is hardly expected to like it at the first try.

Connoisseurs, however, cannot wait to eat their first "Khao Chae" of the year. This dish usually appears on the menu around the end of March and disappears at the arrival of the rainy season. It is strictly a luncheon dish which makes it doubly popular because lunch time in Bangkok is every working man's and woman's highlight of the day. One can almost feel the sweet state of anticipation in the restaurants that put up their signs a week before, announcing the forthcoming arrival of this summertime specialty.

As the preparation which goes into the making of the side dishes to be eaten with this rice is very time consuming, few restaurants serve it, and the ones that do can make only a limited amount a day. For this reason people who set their hearts and souls upon eating Khao Chae usually reserve it in advance in order not to be disappointed should they arrive at the restaurant and find it all sold out. Otherwise, the thing to do is to arrive really early before the other customers spill out of their offices into the restaurant.

This rice is so special because it is a seasonal dish, something you have to wait for and before you get a chance to get tired of it the season is already over. Also, people who like to try out different kinds of food realize that something as refined and difficult to make as Khao Chae will eventually disappear from the eating scene, leaving room for dishes that can be churned out fast. In private homes, unless you have a fully equipped kitchen, nobody will bother to sit down and make it. What's more, if you order it in - restaurants (hotel coffee shops don't have it) it is reasonably priced. One set of Khao Chae which includes rice served in scented water with jasmin and rose petals floating in it plus six or seven side dishes fried onions stuffed with flaky white fish, green pepper stuffed with pork wrapped in a light net made of eggs, shredded crispy beef, shrimp paste mixed with fish and ginger and formed into little balls then dipped in batter and fried, fried salted egg, and shredded preserved cabbage stir-fried with eggs -- costs only between 40 to 60 baht (US$2-$3) depending on how elaborate and generous the portion.

Nobody knows for sure who actually thought up the idea of eating rice in cold water. Perhaps someone accidentally knocked over a glass of iced water into his rice, ate it, and decided that it was quite refreshing after all. As far as I can remember, it has always been there in the summertime just like the Songkran water festival.


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Vipp Rongsit is an editor specialize in Thai food & Thai recipes.

Thai Hom Mali Rice : The Rice Of Choice Around The Globe

By: Vipp Rongsit
Rice is the staple food of the Thai people. In fact, "kin khao" (eating rice) in the Thai language means "to have a meal". The Thai people have great reverence for this grain: stepping on it is considered taboo. In 1960, His Majesty the King revived the centuries-old tradition of the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, where blessed rice seeds are distributed to farmers throughout the Kingdom. His Majesty does not take only a symbolic role in safeguarding the success of the rice harvest, he has personally initiated and supervised numerous projects throughout the country to assist farmers in taking full advantage of modern technology and the latest advances in agriculture and irrigation. In Thailand, rice is grown in most provinces, though the highest concentration is found in six plains, namely: the Upper Northern, Lower Northern, Central, Upper Northeastern, Lower Northeastern and Southern Plains. Due to different soil conditions and climate, each plain produces different varieties with different qualities.

The Upper Northeastern and Lower Northeastern Plains are topographically separate but both produce the same kind of rice. This area is also famous for Thai Hom Mali Rice and glutinous rice.

The Lower Northern Plain is the second largest production area in terms of tonnage. The country's top quality grain, Thai Hom Mali Rice, is grown here.

Originating in Thailand, Thai "Hom Mali" Rice is the world's only traditional strain of rice with a natural fragrance similar to the pandanus plant. Though several other countries have tried to grow this variety, none has been successful in preserving its distinct aroma, texture and taste.

Thai Hom Mali Rice - "Hom" for its gentle, unique aroma and "Mali" for its jasmine white appearance - is the official name, of Thailand's finest fragrant rice. A photo-sensitive variety. Thai Hom Mali Rice is best grown in Thailand's Northeastern Region. Our annual harvest yields the best quality Thai Hom Mali Rice: long grain, silky smooth, pure white, a tender texture when cooked and a distinct fragrance.

Thai Hom Mali Rice is a traditional variety which was first found planted in Phanat Nikhom District, Chon Buri Province in 1945. Currently there are two sub-varieties - Khao Dok Mali 105 and Gor Kor 15. These sub-varieties of Thai Hom Mali Rice originated from a small village called Bang Klar in Bang Nampliew District, Chachoengsao Province in central Thailand. Widely grown in the North and Northeast of Thailand, the two sub-varieties produce similar quality of cooked fragrant rice.

Thai Hom Mali Rice has an international reputation for its appearance and cooking texture but most of all for its aroma, which is subtle yet fragrant. It is also the grain's versatility as a cooking staple that has made it such a mouth-watering prospect for consumers around the world.

Thai Hom Mali Rice is also very nutritious, containing high fibre, vitamins B1. B2, niacin, carbohydrates and protein but contains no gluten, so it is non-allergenic. It is rich in minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphorous. In highlighting its widespread popularity, the Thai Hom Mali Rice International Recipe Contest has been held to feature recipes sent in by individuals and institutions from around the world, sharing with us their ingenious creations.


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Vipp Rongsit is an editor specialize in Thai restaurant & Thai recipes.