Khanom chan (, ) is an ancient Thai ''khanom'', or dessert, made of tapioca flour,

rice flour Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...

, and coconut milk, among other ingredients. Originating from the Sukhothai Period, the dessert is a staple snack in Thai cuisine, and

Thai people Thai people, historically known as Siamese people, are an ethnic group native to Thailand. In a narrower and ethnic sense, the Thais are also a Tai peoples, Tai ethnic group dominant in Central Thailand, Central and Southern Thailand (Siam prope ...

usually prepare it for auspicious ceremonies. Khanom chan is fragrant, subtly sweet, and slightly oily from the addition of the coconut milk; its texture is smooth yet sticky.

Name and origin

Its name derives from two Thai words: “''khanom''” () meaning "dessert", and “''chan''” () meaning "layer" or "layers". The dessert has its origins in the Sukhothai Period, when foreign trade with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

contributed to cultural exchanges, including that of food. As a result, the food was developed from ingredients that came from many nations and was adapted to suit the living conditions of local people.

Usage

In a complete serving, a minimum of nine layers of the dessert are prepared and eaten. The number nine has connotations of prosperity in the Thai language: "nine" () is a homophone of the phrase "to step forward" (). As a result, khanom chan is often seen as representing prosperity in life and promotion in one's occupation. Because of its positive connotations, khanom chan is often used in sacred ceremonies such as in home

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

or weddings; with nine layers or more the snack is believed to bring happiness and progress for both the maker and eater. Because of this belief, some areas of Thailand have given the dessert other names to make it more prosperous, such as ''khanom chan farh'' ().

Ingredients

Khanom chan is made with tapioca flour, arrowroot starch, rice flour, mung bean flour,

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

, coconut milk, and food coloring or pandan juice. Tapioca flour is used to make the dessert soft, sticky, viscous, and transparent. Arrowroot starch makes the dessert more sticky, but is less transparent than tapioca flour. Rice flour and mung bean flour give it firmness to hold its shape.

References

Thai desserts and snacks {{Thai-cuisine-stub

Name and origin

Usage

Ingredients

See also

References