Daily Archives: June 16, 2005

Khanom Jaak – Thai Dessert

One of the famous desserts for our province is Khanom Jaak ( ขนมจาก ). I quite often see them selling it down by the market near the jetty for the cross-river ferry. The dessert is prepared inside the leaves of a nipa palm and then roasted over a charcoal fire.

Like anything, there are local variations, but here is a recipe that I managed to get hold off from a local person:

Sticky rice flour (1.5 kilos)
Palm sugar (half a kilo)
2 Shredded coconuts
Salt (2 teaspoons)

As you can see from the pictures, the mixture is spooned onto the leaves of a nipa palm which is then joined together with toothpicks. It is then roasted over a charcoal fire.

A bundle of khanom jaak costs about 20 baht. Now you know what it is, try some the next time you are in Thailand.

Visit the Thai Food archives at enjoythaifood.com. You will find hundreds of pictures as well as many sound clips to help you pronounce the name of each Thai dessert.

My “Wonderful” Neighbors ver. 2

The first neighbors in a house on the left I remember were a couple with one child. They had left happily and never bothered my family or other neighbors at all. One day, the husband had no more job (not sure if he was fired or he just quit his job himself) but their child was in a perfect age to go to school. They needed money so the wife started to do the laundry thingy to gain some money. My mum and I had most of our clothes washed and ironed there, too. Although our clothes weren’t done that neat but we were close so mum didn’t stop using her service.

Before long, the husband was hired to carry some sand and build a house. The wife still kept washing clothes. We were happy for them..it seemed to work out pretty well between us but..

“Hello,” the wife answered the phone. (Remember we shared the same wall so I heard everything)
“Yes, he’s my husband.”
“Is there anything important? I mean, I was washing clothes..”
– – Silence for a while – –
I heard a whisper..very quiet after that “no..” and a second later, “NOO!! NO!! YOU ARE A LIAR!!”
The terrible cry started to come out from her mouth..and her collapsed heart..
“What’s wrong, mummy?!” their kid’s voice.
Then they began to cry together.. it was so sad although I didn’t know what was going on.

My granny, as always, couldn’t bear knowing that much but not all so she went to investigate and learned that ..The husband was already dead while he was carrying the sand crossing the street..the car driven so fast hit him and he died straight away.

I can still remember the wife and the kid’s faces the day they left that house.. they had to go find somewhere cheaper because there’s no father to earn much money anymore..only the mother left.

My mum did offer some money to help but they refused it.. they said my mum had given them a lot already and they just left like that.. I wish it didn’t happen coz after that other families who have come in and out this family don’t turn out as good as them.

“Stuff happens. Don’t forget we never know if tommorrow we’re going to be like today again.”