Khao jee ( lo, ເຂົ້າຈີ່), or ( or 'grilling
tickyrice'), also ( lo, ເຂົ້າປີ້ງ), is an ancient Laotian cooking method of grilling
glutinous rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
or sticky rice on a stick over an open fire.
Khao jee or, more specifically, (), also known as Lao sticky rice pancakes with egg coating, is a traditional Lao food from Laos and the ethnic Lao of
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
or northeastern
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. Glutinous rice is the staple of the
Lao people
The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the eponymous language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere t ...
in Laos and in Thailand. In fact, the Lao consume more sticky rice than any other group of people in the world. ''Khao jee'' (''joom kai'') is usually served as a quick meal during breakfast or as a grab-and-go snack. Khao jee can be found at street stalls all over Laos.
At the conclusion if the Vietnam War, between 1975 and 1995, it was estimated that approximately 200,000 Lao refugees, crossed the
Mekong
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , ...
River into Thailand. Most stayed in the refugee camps while other moved to
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
looking for work.
During the economic boom of the 1980s and as demands for labour increased. It was estimated that between 1980 and 1990 approximately 1.1 million ethnic Lao from
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
had moved from the northeast to central Thailand and Bangkok. This, in turn, has helped popularize and create an unprecedented demand for Lao food outside of Laos and the northeast. Traditional Lao food such as
sticky rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
,
papaya salad
Green papaya salad ( km, បុកល្ហុង, lo, ຕຳຫມາກຫຸ່ງ and th, ส้มตำ) is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. It was possibly created by the Lao people but is eaten throughout Continental ...
,
larb
''Larb'' ( lo, ລາບ; th, ลาบ, , , also spelled ', ', ' or ') is a type of Lao meat salad that is the national dish of Laos, along with green papaya salad and sticky rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also ...
,
nam khao
Naem khao ( lo, ແໜມເຂົ້າ), also known as yam naem ( th, ยำแหนม) is a very popular Lao appetizer salad originating from Tha Deua, a small port village, in Vientiane, Laos.
Nam khao can be found at street stalls, resta ...
,
kai yang
Kai yang or gai yang ( th, ไก่ย่าง, , literally meaning "grilled chicken"), also known as kai ping or gai ping ( th, ไก่ปิ้ง), or pīng kai ( lo, ປີ້ງໄກ່, ), is a dish originating from the Lao people of ...
, and khao jee etc., can now be found at street stalls and vendors in Bangkok and throughout Thailand.
The ''khao jee'' is made by forming the sticky rice into a patty or wrapped around a long stick acting as a vehicle or method of reaching the hot fire and flipping the sticky rice patties without burning one's hand, similar to toasting marshmallow over an open flame. The grilled sticky rice will form a crispy and nutty outer layer while centre are hot and chewy.
The most common and well-known way of eating Lao grilled sticky rice is with egg coating, but Laotians have been known to eat plain grilled sticky rice with a sprinkle of salt, or even coated in
padaek
Padaek , sometimes known as padek, or Lao fish sauce (Lao: ປາແດກ) ( th, ปลาแดก), similar to pla ra in Thailand ( th, ปลาร้า), is a traditional Lao condiment made from pickled or fermented fish that has been cure ...
, the traditional Lao fermented fish sauce.
In Laos, the term "khao jee" can also refer to a Lao-style French bread or
baguette
A baguette (; ) is a long, thin type of bread of French origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined by French law). It is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust.
A baguette has a di ...
. One of the ever-lasting and fully embraced remnants of French colonial rules in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. The khao jee bread is commonly use in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
ese
bánh mì
In Vietnamese cuisine, or banh mi (, ; , "bread") is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called ''bánh ...
sandwiches. The Lao variation of the sandwich is known as
Khao Jee Pâté.
References
{{Lao cuisine
Lao cuisine