2024-01-11 20:51:55
Finding them at a Thai street stall is now not that easy. The recipe consists of only three ingredients: Khanom Khrok are small pancakes made from rice flour, sugar and coconut milk that are best eaten fresh from the pan. They are predominantly sweet, but they can also be salty.
Pans with hemispherical cavities are used to prepare them, which are reminiscent of Dutch poffertjes or Japanese takoyaki pans. As an additional flavor, the dough balls, which are golden brown on the outside, are garnished with corn kernels, chives or onions.
The price to be paid usually refers to two halves of the dough ball, which are stacked on top of each other – a single half is not sold. The dessert is also known as “Khanom Haeng Kwaam Rak”, which translates to “snack of lovers” – and can be traced back to a Thai folk tale.
They vowed to love each other forever
Similar to Romeo and Juliet, there was once an unlikely couple: Gati, a man from a poor background, and Pang, the only daughter of a village head. The lovers swore eternal love for each other, Gati asked for Pang’s hand in marriage – but her father was against the union. Instead, he planned to marry his daughter to a wealthy Bangkok businessman. Knowing that Gati would try to prevent this, the cunning father had his servants dig pits around the family house.
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At night, Gati appeared to see his beloved Pang, the lovers ran towards each other – and Pang fell into one of the traps. Without hesitation, Gati jumped after him. Pang’s father’s men thought their goal had been achieved and quickly closed the trap. The next day they found the lifeless bodies of Gati and Pang – wrapped around each other – in the pit. Gati, which means coconut milk, and Pang, which means rice flour. Khanom Khrok are the symbol of their love; a dish said to have been created in the couple’s honor. Two halves that belong together.
What’s nice about these pancakes is not only this story, but also the fact that they are widespread throughout Southeast Asia, such as in Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia, in different variations and under different names. In the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh (our picture), which is far less touristy than Bangkok, it would probably not occur to street vendors that the popularity of avocado toast and smoothie bowls could push their food out of the cityscape.
By the way, in Khmer, Khanom Khrok are called Nom Krok, which is quite similar. But the legend is different in Cambodia: Krok is the name of a vile water devil who lives in the Tonle Sap river. “Krok, krok,” is what his loud snoring sounds like. To appease him and protect him from floods and storms, the evil spirit is fed the Nom Krok pancakes as an offering. Nice too, right?
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