Khao Jee

Khao Jee, literally “baked rice”, is one of my favorite Thai food items from my childhood. It is a traditional Lao food from Laos including ethnic Lao of Isan or northeastern Thailand. It is made by forming the sticky rice (“khao neaw”) into a flat rice ball similar to Japanese Onigiri. Many people do this by wrapping sticky rice around a long bamboo stick acting as a vehicle or method of reaching the hot fire and flipping the sticky rice patties without burning one’s hand, similar to toasting marshmallow over an open flame. Salt is then sprinkled and gently pressed on the rice ball before an initial baking. You may opt for adding salt to the egg instead. Once the rice turns orange and hardened, the whole rice ball is soaked in stirred raw egg. It will then go through finishing bake.

You can enjoy Khao Jee as is for your main meal together with other Thai dishes or for snacking. In Isan, Khao Jee is more widely consumed during winter. Nowadays, you may find Khao Jee in some roadside food stalls not only in Isan but through out Thailand including Bangkok. But they are not easy to be found may be because they are simple and usually sold at THB5-10 per piece which make Khao Jee less economical as a business .

Thai Dishes Are Meant to be Shared

A proper Thai meal should consist of rice or “kao” and some thing to eat with rice or “kab kao”. Each diner is served with an individual plate of rice while everything else is served in the middle of the table for sharing among diners. Normally rice arrives at the table first followed by non-rice dishes. Thais will not start eating until their rice arrives. This is a different concept from that in the Western world where rice is a side dish often ignored completely. In fact Thai food is cooked to “season” the rice and dishes are flavored to be eaten with rice – they aren’t meant to be eaten alone.

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What is the Best Relief When Your Tongue Gets Burnt by Spicy Thai Food?

You would think just drink something cold like chilled water. That is exactly what most people do when their eyes are watering with a fire in their mouth. The result is the opposite. Seconds after sipping the chilled drinks, the fire starts right back in. Then more water gulped down but the heat never goes away. Your stomach stuffs up with water after a while. Continue reading “What is the Best Relief When Your Tongue Gets Burnt by Spicy Thai Food?”