Family continues late granny’s traditional Thai bakes
Image adapted from Nanjaewjing.com and Sopapan Wongsree
Aside from street food and savoury dishes, Thailand also offers various interesting desserts that many make using traditional methods like a charcoal oven. Even though advanced equipment can help bake stuff easier and quicker, many believe it lacks the classic flavour from more traditional means of cooking.
This Grandma from Thailand’s Sukhothai Province used to bake her signature custard for villagers all without an oven, which has since gained respect and recognition with others in the area.
She made Thai baked custard called Khanom Mor Kaeng
Khanom Mor Kaeng is a traditional Thai dessert that uses eggs and coconut milk as its main ingredients. Nowadays, it’s common for Thai people to add mung beans, taro, and lotus seeds into it too. We can find this custard at almost every traditional Thai dessert shop, especially in Chonburi Province.
Image credit: Nanjaewjing.com
In the past, cooking this dessert was quite hard and complicated because of the lack of advanced kitchen equipment like electric ovens. Nevertheless, this complex recipe offers a signature scent and taste, which is hardly found the more modern desserts we find these days.
Everything was baked without an oven
Image credit: Postjung
Though it’s easy to find Khanom Mor Kaeng these days, this grandma’s traditional recipe is only served at Baan Dong Khu in the Sukhothai Province of Thailand.
Last year, Facebook user Sopapan Wongsree posted pictures along with a caption inviting people to try her homemade custard.
Image credit: Postjung
Translation: Grandma said she doesn’t have any ovens like others, but she guarantees you will love her custard for sure. I can absolutely confirm that it’s true.
She also took photos of the cooking process and we agree – the custard looks moist and delicious!
Image credit: Sopapan Wongsree
Image credit: Postjung
She baked the custard using charcoal and dried coconut coir (a coconut’s “skin” fibres) to create her very own handmade oven. This resulted in her baked custard being extra juicy and full of a smoky, grilled scent that can only be achieved by baking with charcoal.
Grandma passed down the recipe to all her children
Image credit: Nanjaewjing.com
Sadly, she recently passed away – but she’s since left her legacy to the younger generation. Her children still offer Thai baked custard cooked in the traditional way their mom used to do.
Image credit: Sopapan Wongsree
We also hope to see more young folk continue to both cook and enjoy traditional desserts even though we’ve got all sorts of quirky cafes and hi-so restaurants popping up these days.
If you’re interested to try or would like to support them, you can visit them at Moo 7, Baan Dong KhuSub-district, Srisatchanalai District, Sukhothai province.
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