As I promised, my "Great Eats in Bangkok" series is in fact becomming a series and not just a single video. Using my new wireless microphone that plugs into a Kodak Zi8, the audio quality is a bit better than the first time I shot the footage for this episode. I'll have to keep playing around with the equipment in order to learn to master it, but hopefully each successive volume of the series will get better.
In this volume we explore one of my favorite Thai desserts, something called khanom krug. "Khanom" is the broad term used for snacks and nibbly type of desserts and "krug" refers to the half-sphere shape in which these tasty treats are made. You can loosely describe khanom krug as "rice flour and coconut milk pancakes", although that description fails to capture what makes them so special and worth seeking out.
The interesting thing about khanom krug is how it is composed of two batters, both made with rice flour and coconut milk. One batter is a little saltier and the other is a little sweeter. The sweet batter is poured into the indentations in the pan, filling them about 2/3 of the way. Then a few seconds later the saltier batter is added. Savory fillings such as corn, taro, or free onions can be added (but just as often, are not) and then the whole thing is covered and allowed to bake and steam for several minutes.
Once the khanom are fairly firm, but still a little molten in the middle, the halves are scooped out and paired together for serving. You have to be careful of a few things when eating them: first, they will be incredibly hot and the interior will decimate your tastebuds like lava flowing through a forest. Second, don't let the vendor put the container of them in a bag. Steam is the enemy of these khanom and they will lose their crisp exterior very quickly. Third, solve that problem by eating them right away!
I hope you enjoyed the video. A third one is being edited now and the first volume, focusing on rice noodles called guaytiaw, is here.
