Khanom chan ( th, ขนมชั้น, ) is an ancient Thai ''khanom'', or dessert, made of

tapioca flour Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America. ...

rice flour Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...

, and coconut milk, among other ingredients. Originating from the

Sukhothai Period The Sukhothai Kingdom ( th, สุโขทัย, , IAST: , ) was a post-classical Thai kingdom (mandala) in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thailand. The kingdom was fou ...

, the dessert is a staple snack in Thai cuisine, and

Thai people Thai people ( th, ชาวไทย; ''endonym''), Central Thai people ( th, คนภาคกลาง, sou, คนใต้, ตามโพร; ''exonym and also domestically'') or Siamese ( th, ชาวสยาม; ''historical exonym and ...

usually prepare it for auspicious ceremonies. Khanom chan is fragrant, subtly sweet, and slightly oily from the addition of the coconut milk; its texture is smooth yet sticky.

Name and origin

Its name derives from two Thai words: “''khanom''” ( th, ขนม) meaning "dessert", and “''chan''” ( th, ชั้น) meaning "layer" or "layers". The dessert has its origins in the

, when foreign trade with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

contributed to cultural exchanges, including that of food. As a result, the food was developed from ingredients that came from many nations and was adapted to suit the living conditions of local people.

Usage

In a complete serving, a minimum of nine layers of the dessert are prepared and eaten. The number nine has connotations of prosperity in the Thai language: "nine" ( th, เก้า) is a homophone of the phrase "to step forward" ( th, ก้าว). As a result, khanom chan is often seen as representing prosperity in life and promotion in one's occupation. Because of its positive connotations, khanom chan is often used in sacred ceremonies such as in home

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

weddings A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marria ...

; with nine layers or more the snack is believed to bring happiness and progress for both the maker and eater. Because of this belief, some areas of Thailand have given the dessert other names to make it more prosperous, such as ''khanom chan farh'' ( th, ขนมชั้นฟ้า).

Ingredients

Khanom chan is made with tapioca flour, arrowroot starch, rice flour, mung bean flour,

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

, coconut milk, and food coloring or pandan juice. Tapioca flour is used to make the dessert soft, sticky, viscous, and transparent. Arrowroot starch makes the dessert more sticky, but is less transparent than tapioca flour. Rice flour and mung bean flour give it firmness to hold its shape.

References

Thai desserts and snacks {{Thai-cuisine-stub

Name and origin

Usage

Ingredients

See also

References