Tastebuds in Ayutthaya – Khanom Pack Mon
Guest post by Marianne
I love watching street hawkers do their thing. A Char Kway Teow Uncle who dances as he fries, or a Chicken Rice Aunty chopping chicken to a beat—they never fail to amuse me.
As I watch this hawker skillfully make Khanom Pack Mon, I fell into the same “Hawker Trance”.
First, he spreads a very thin layer of rice flour mixture onto an oiled cloth stretched above the piping hot steamer.
Then, he places a ball of shrimp and chilli filling on each side. A wooden spatula is used to split the circle in half.
In seconds, he skillfully folds the thin rice sheet over …
… and forms two ‘dumplings’.
To rhythmically fold and wrap something so soft and fragile without breaking, his effortless demeanor masks years of practice.
To my delight, the hawker repeats the same actions again and again, honing his skills as he sells box after box.
Pop one into your mouth and you taste a sensuous silky layer enveloping a ball of umami awesomeness. The somewhat bland rice flour skin and robust filling perfectly balance in a tiny bite-sized morsel.
I loved it as much as I’ve enjoyed watching him make it.
