Thai Snacks (Kanom Thai) - ขนมไทย

Take a walk around Phuket Town especially during a festival, or any of the special fairs that are held in the temples, at Saphan Hin or even in the shopping malls and along the side of the road, you are sure to be amazed by the amount of different snacks that are for sale! Do be brave and try some, they can be very sweet and you will love some and hate some but it is fun to experiment. Here are some of the things your likely to find............

       
Kanom Ah Poeng. ขนมอาโปงA traditional cake of Phuket perfect with your morning coffee and not too sweet as they have no filling. Ah Poeng are made from a mixture of flour, egg, yeast and coconut milk cooked in the little round pans the girl in orange is using in the photo below.

   
Kanom Krock. ขนมครก A traditional cake made from flour and coconut milk. In Phuket Kanom Krock tend to be plain and a packet of sugar is supplied however certain vendors make them with a selection of toppings such as red beans, sweet corn and so on which I personally like better.

Coconut Cream Deserts (Kanom Gati) ขนมกะทิ can be found in every market and also in many of the side of the road curry restaurants. They come in a variety of mixtures, some with flour rolled into balls (Bua Loy) or strands (Salim), and some with vegetables like black bean or pumpkin, but one of my favourites is 'Dtery Tom' (in photo) and also 'Kluay Buat Chi' or bananas boiled in coconut cream.

Kao Lahm. ข้าวหลาม Bamboo filled with sticky rice which makes it a very transportable snack. The photo here shows a large version that had to be broken open on purchase (hence the lady with the axe). They offered a choice of various fillings although I chose the young coconut meat, absolutely delicious! Normally you will see the local version of these is usually just plain sweet sticky rice in the inner part of the bamboo and so just have to be peeled open. Vendors usually put a basket on their motorbike and drive around the streets looking for buyers.


Thai Pancakes (Roti) โรตี(This one was the biggest I have ever seen) You will see mobile stalls being pushed around or parked by the road side selling 'Thai Pancakes' (Roti) almost everywhere in Phuket with a choice of fillings from banana to Nutella and a whole lot more (to please the tourists) although traditionally they were selling just plain sweet Roti with or without egg.. You can also find restaurants like Abduls, the one in Tanon Thalang, selling Roti with Curry which I simply adore!

  
Dumplings. (Salapao) ศาลาเปา A Chinese snack that can be found in convenience stores as well as around the markets and street stalls. They are offered with a sweet filling but are best known for the traditional pork filling and are usually served hot from the steamer. 

Mooncake (Kanom Wai Prajan) ขนมไหว้พระจันทร์ Available for the Moon Festival in August / September. These are expensive (around 100 baht each) and come with a variety of fillings, some with egg and some without. (westerners will almost definitely prefer without). Each year seems to have a new filling and just when you fall in love with it - next year it has disappeared! The standard filling in Thailand tends to be durian, lotus seed, mix fruit and nuts or black bean. The cakes are used as a gift for family and business associates during the festival as well as an offering to the gods.

Kanom Jak. ขนมจาก A paste made from shredded coconut and sugar packaged in a 'Jak' leaf and cooked over charcoal. Jack Palms are found in mangrove forests and therefore this is a common sweet in coastal areas.This stall has been at Rawai Beach ever since I came to Thailand! Best eaten warm. 

Kanom Dtao Sau. ขนมเต้า่ส่อ A typical Chinese cake easy to find in Phuket. Another one of my favourites. These came from Kengtin's Bakery which was the first bakery to open in Phuket and offer a wide range of traditional Phuket cakes.

Kao Tom Mat ข้าวต้มมัด. A very common cake that can be found at most cake stalls in the morning. Made from sticky rice, banana and black beans, wrapped up in a banana leaf and bound with string which is what gives them the name Kao Tom Mat  - Kao means rice, tom means boiled and mat means tide up. They are often called Kao Tom Kluay ข้าวต้มกล้วย kluay means banana. You can see how they are made here.

   

Fried Insects (Malaeng Tord). แมลงทอด I know you are saying 'What? insects with sweets?' but going back to traditional times,
when there were no packets of crisps and similar western snacks, the nearest thing you could get were fried insects. Usually served with a choice of black pepper, chilli, bay leaves and soy sauce they really are quite tasty. Believe me!

  

One of my all time favourites is Miang Kam, เมียงคำ it's a very healthy snack too! You will find it for sale in bags at some of the curry shops or stalls selling Thai Sweets. Just fold up one of the leaves and put a little bit of everything inside then pour on a little bit of the syrup and pop it in your mouth!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miang_kham

Ponlamai Song Kreung พลไม้ทรงเครื่อง - Phuket's Festivals always have a lot of snacks sold along the side of the road. You need a week or more to be able to try everything! The Thais love to eat their fruit with chilli sugar and salt and this stall certainly had plenty to choose from - mouth watering!

Kanom Beuang ขนมเบื้อง - The crispy folds that look a bit like tacos but contain coconut cream and sweet egg strands. Oh and the pancakes here were just delicious too!

Look Gaolat ลูกเกาลัด or  Chestnuts - I know, not really a 'Thai' snack and hard to find here in Phuket. I get to eat chestnuts once a year - during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival!

Look Choop - ลูกชุบ Glazed 'Fruit'. I remember as a child back in the UK making and eating marzipan fruit that looked just like these!

ฺBor Bia Sot ปอเปี๊ยะสด Spring Rolls - Freshly made right before your eyes! Fresh Spring Rolls are available at the market and on some of the street stalls selling cakes in the morning. Love them! Lock Tian Restaurant is renowned for their spring rolls.

For a recipe to make Spring Rolls as well as other Thai Food try: http://www.ezythaicooking.com/free_recipes/Thai-spring-roll.htm

Dim Sum ขนมจีบ 點心 - A popular breakfast for the Chinese community. There are many shops serving Dim Sum all over Phuket Town, and even 7-11 shops are selling a limited selection. Look out for a big steamer in front of the restaurant and you'll have arrived. Take a table and they will serve a selection but you only pay for what you eat. I love the Ha Gow shrimp dumplings - yummy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dim_sum

Oh Dtao โอวต้าว 蚝煎 - A traditional Phuket food intoduced by the Chinese. More of a meal than a snack but the locals will usually eat oh Dtao in the afternoon or at night not as a main meal. Oh Dtao is made from egg,taro and oysters. 

Kao Yam ข้าวยำ - A traditional Southern Thai dish, probably originating from Malaysia or Indonesia, made from a selection of finally sliced vegetables and herbs, dried shredded shrimp, sour mango or similar and 'budu' sauce (บูดู). Kao Yam is renowned for its complete nutritional value, and has got to be one of my favourite Thai dishes!

Nam Prik น้ำพริก - Thailand's most common traditional food served with a wide range of vegetables and maybe steamed or fried fish that gives you a nutritionally perfect meal. It is possible to buy pots of ready made Nam Prik in most supermarkets and also home-made such as at Rahn Jee Nguat in Yaowarat Road.

There are loads more - just wait until I get hungry again!