Khanohm jeen yee poon is an appetizer consisting of a small roll of fermented rice noodles laid on a green lettuce leaf and topped with a slice of cucumber and cooked shrimp and pork belly, dressed with sour-sweet and salty fried chili jam, sprinkled with roasted peanuts and decorated with coriander leaf and a thin julienne of fresh red chili pepper. A squeeze of fresh lime juice is applied just before eating the dish.
Literally, “khanohm jeen yee poon” is translated as “Japanese-style fermented rice noodles”. But there is no evident Japanese motif in the dish that explains its name, and if we were to name the dish ourselves we would probably call it miiang khanohm jeen (เมี่ยงขนมจีน).
Miiang (or miang) is a general term for bite-sized dishes that contain several ingredients, each offering a distinct element of flavor, color or texture to create a perfect mouthful.
We came across this peculiarly-named appetizer in Lady Gleep Mahithaawn’s book “Recipes for Teaching Children and Grandchildren” (หนังสือกับข้าวสอนลูกหลาน), printed for her 72nd birthday celebration on January 7, 1949.
We wondered: Why did Lady Gleep label this hors d’oeuvre recipe as “Japanese-style”?
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In seeking an answer to the question, we examined Lady Plean Passakornrawong’s earlier writings (c1908), and found a similar dish with similarly sounding name called khanohm jin bpoon (ขนมจิ่นปุ่น). The dish, spelled somewhat differently, also features Lady Plean’s additions of pickled garlic, young ginger, roasted mung beans and bitter orange (ส้มส้า, sohm saa, som.za), and uses naam phrik laao (น้ำพริกลาว) instead of fried chili jam.
We were excited to come across her footnote comment to the recipe, in which she writes, “The dish khanohm jin bpoon (ขนมจิ่นปุ่น) was formerly called khao bpoon laao (เข้าปุ้นลาว); these days [c1908], the name has changed to khanohm jin yi bpoon (ขนมจิ่นยิ่ปุ่น) probably for reason of progress.”
Lady Plean offers no definitive explanation for the origins of the name, so we will probably never know the real reason behind calling this truly Thai recipe a Japanese-style fermented rice noodle hors d’oeuvre.
However, we decided to take this opportunity to discuss old Thai dishes and their names.
Old Thai dishes names fall into four main groups.
The first group includes dishes with straightforward names that indicate both the preparation method and the main ingredient used. For example:
- Gaaeng phet gai (แกงเผ็ดไก่) – Spicy red curry of chicken
- Gaaeng bpaa bplaa dook (แกงป่าปลาดุก) – Jungle curry of cat fish
- Gaaeng khuaa dtaphaap naam (แกงคั่วตะพาบน้ำ) – Curry of soft-shell turtle
- Naam phrik gabpi (น้ำพริกกะปิ) – Fermented shrimp paste chili sauce
- Yam sohm o:h (ยำส้มโอ) – Pomelo salad
The second group includes dishes with names that give no indication of the dish’s origin, character, ingredients or cooking method.
- Gaaeng bpuh (แกงเปอะ) – Curry of bamboo shoots
- Gaaeng liiang (แกงเลียง) – Curry of mixed vegetables
- Gaaeng buaan (แกงบวน) – Old-style curry
- Gaaeng jao dtao (แกงเจ้าเต่า) – Old-style curry
- Dtohm khlo:hng (ต้มโคล้ง) – Sour soup of smoked dry fish
During the reigns of King Rama VI and VII and as international trade flourished, many new ingredients became available to the cooking masters of those times; these chefs were creative and open-minded, and challenged themselves to invent new recipes with evocative, poetic names:
- Wiwaa pra samoot (วิวาห์พระสมุทร) – The Wedding of the God of the Sea
- Maang faa yiiam haawng (นางฟ้าเยี่ยมห้อง) – The Angel’s Visit
- Naa raai ban thohm sin (นารายณ์บรรทมสินธุ์) – The Reclining Vishnu
- Yam waawn phohng (ยำวรพงษ์) – Woraphong Salad
- Naam phrik na khaawn baan (น้ำพริกนครบาล) – The Cosmopolitan Dipping Sauce
- Mee raat thuut (หมี่ราชทูต) – The King’s Envoy Noodles
The final group includes dishes introduced to the Thai culinary repertoire by direct or indirect foreign influence. In some cases, they are still called by their original name, modified for Thai pronunciation.
- Pha lo:h (พะโล้) – Eggs and pork Chinese five-spice fragrant stew
- Gaaeng garee (แกงกะหรี่) – Yellow curry
- Khaao booree (ข้าวบุหรี่) – Thai-style Persian biryani rice
- Sadteh (สะเต๊ะ) – Satay, Skewered and grilled meat
Our cooking tips for khanohm jeen yee poon
- When cooking the pork belly, add couple of pandan leaves; These will introduce a pleasant aroma to the pork meat.
- Cut the cooked shrimp into lengthwise strips. Cut the pork to a matching size.
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Ingredients
- shrimp (กุ้ง)
- pork belly (เนื้อหมูสามชั้น)
- lettuce leaves (ผักกาดหอม)
- cucumber (แตงกวา)
- coriander leaves (ใบผักชี)
- unsalted roasted shelled peanuts (ถั่วลิสงคั่ว) roasted
- fresh red long chili (phrik chee fa) (พริกชี้ฟ้าแดง)
- chili jam (น้ำพริกเผา)
to make fried chili jam
- 15 dried red long chili (phrik chee fa) (พริกชี้ฟ้าแห้ง) approximately 1 cup
- 1 cup crispy fried shallots (หอมแดงเจียว)
- 1 cup crispy fried garlic (กระเทียมเจียว)
- 1/2 cup dried shrimp (กุ้งแห้ง)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
- 8 tablespoons palm sugar (น้ำตาลมะพร้าว)
- 6 tablespoons fish sauce (น้ำปลา)
- 4 tablespoons tamarind paste (น้ำมะขามเปียก)
Instructions
- Cook the pork on medium heat, add pandan leaf for fragrance.
- Slice the pork into bite-size pieces.
- Clean the shrimp, remove their heads, and peel and devein them before cooking until just done. Do not overcook.
- Slice the shrimp lengthwise into thin strips.
- Roast the peanuts, and then coarsely crush with a pestle and mortar.
Making Fried Chili Jam
- De-seed the dry chili, cut into small pieces, rinse and let it dry.
- Deep fry sliced shallots and sliced garlic.
- Deep fry the dry shrimps until crisp.
- Turn off the heat, and heat-fry the dry chilies in the residual oil.
- Fry the chilies until they get crisp and turn dark red. Be careful not to burn them.
- Place some salt in the mortar.
- Add the fried dried chilies.
- Pound the chilies.
- Add fried dry shrimp.
- Pound the chilies and fried dry shrimp together.
- Add the deep fried garlic and shallots.
- Pound everything into a smooth paste.
- Return the paste to the wok, and fry with residual oil left from frying each of the ingredients. Season with palm sugar.
- Season with fish sauce.
- Season with thick tamarind paste.
- Continue frying until the color becomes shiny. Taste and adjust flavors to sour-sweet-salty.
- Add roasted peanuts to the fried chili jam
To Serve
- Serve. Place a roll of the rice noodles on a piece of green leaf lettuce, add a slice of cucumber, shrimp and pork, dress with the chili jam, sprinkle roasted peanuts and decorate with coriander leaf and a thin julienne of fresh red chili pepper. Squeeze some lime juice on the dish just before eating.
Khanohm Jeen Naam Ngiaao – Shan-Style Tomato Broth over Fermented Rice Noodles with Pork, Chicken Feet and Chicken Blood Cakes (ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว)
A popular noodle dish originating from the Northern region of the Kingdom, khanohm jeen naam ngiaao (ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว) is characterized by its light – yet profound – multi-layered broth. This hearty broth includes an assortment of proteins braised with the dried pollens of cotton tree flowers, and Northern Thai sour cherry tomatoes (มะเขือส้ม); the tomatoes infuse the broth with a subtle tartness that refreshes a full-bodied profile comprising a multitude of fermented ingredients.
The naam ngiaao broth is served over fermented rice noodles and features minced pork, and braised baby back pork ribs with their tender meat clinging to the bone. As well, there are succulent, slow-cooked whole chicken feet, and cubes of slightly bouncy, mauve-hued chicken blood cakes. Served alongside the soup are various toppings, which can include shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, chopped coriander leaves, and spring onions, while dark red chili oil and glossy, charred-fried dried bird’s eye chilies offer a fiery intensity dialed up to your preferred spiciness. In addition, I like to add wok-smoked sour cherry tomatoes and broom-like, crispy-fried dried cotton tree pollen for a surprising textural contrast.
Though the dish is often described as “Shan style”, the word ‘ngiao’ was a derogatory expression for the Shan people. As the disparaging – and outdated – label suggests, the recipe might reflect societal biases and prejudices; thus, at least from the culinary perspective, the ‘ngiao’ in the name of the dish may simply be a nod to the flavors or ingredients favored by The Shan, rather than a claim of authenticity – which could also explain why the dish is based on a Siamese curry paste.
Fermented Rice Noodles Served with Pineapple, Fish Balls in Coconut Milk, Grilled Curried Fish Cakes, Young Ginger and Dry Shrimp Powder
(ขนมจีนซาวน้ำ ; khanohm jeen saao naam )
For the khanohm jeen saao naam version that we present today, we turn again to the writing of Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn for her unique take on the dish. Her version is quite similar to the common recipe encountered nowadays, but Lady Gleep enhances it with more ingredients, elevating the dish yet another notch to the level of a majestic masterpiece.
If palaces represent grandeur and wealth within a society, and poems often focus on emotional experience or the beauty of language, then the significance of a dumpling may be inferred by its structured elegance and minimalism – each fold and pleat a deliberate act, and each filling a curated experience constructing comfort in its most elemental form.
Khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) is a traditional Siamese fried, triangular-shaped dumpling with obvious Chinese origins. Its earliest recorded recipe can be traced back to Jao Khraawk Thaawng Yuu (เจ้าครอกทองอยู่), a distinguished aristocrat from the royal court of Ayutthaya. Historical records indicate that, from the early days of the Rattanakosin era, her recipe was a favored snack within the Siamese royal court.
These dumplings are shaped like triangles and, according to some, resemble bats: For this reason, they are called khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) – ‘the bat’s treat’. The dumpling’s dough is made from rice and mung bean flours; its filling is prepared by combining grated coconut and shrimp meat, which are cooked together into a dense, flavorful mixture that brings out the nutty-sweet taste of the grated coconut and the savory-sweet flavors of the shrimp. Kaffir lime leaves, sliced into hair-thin juliennes, add a hint of citrus.
Khanohm Jeen Naam Yaa (ขนมจีนน้ำยา) – Fermented Rice Noodles with Minced Fish in Aromatic Coconut Curry
In the Central Plains of the Kingdom, fermented rice noodles are inextricably linked to a dish known as naam yaa. Composed of a dense, coconut-based minced fish curry, the dish is infused with layers of salted fish and possesses the distinctive, invigorating and purifying notes of fingerroot. Typically, naam yaa is served with fresh lemon basil as the herb of choice along with an array of side dishes collectively known as meuuat khanohm jeen (เหมือดขนมจีน). These include blanched bean sprouts seasoned with a touch of turmeric for color, fresh lemon basil leaves, thinly sliced three colored chilies, and ground chili for added heat. More elaborate versions will add blanched Chinese bitter gourd slices, batter-fried young morning glory shoots, and fresh shrimp minced and fried with its tomalley in pork lard, as well as crispy-fried shallots as the finishing touch.
Known as Khanohm faawy (ขนมฝอย) or Khanohm handtraa, this sweet or savory packet can be a dessert or a snack. The dessert has a sweet filling of silky mung beans and a coconut marzipan-like paste, while the snack’s savory filling consists of shrimp and pork minced and seasoned with garlic, coriander root and white peppercorns. Each is theatrically wrapped in a striking nest of skillfully crafted duck’s egg thread.
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