A ''khantoke'' or ''khantok'' ( th, ขันโตก, ) is a pedestal tray used as a small dining table by the

Lanna The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้านนา, , ), also known as Lannathai, and most commonly called Lanna or Lanna Kingdom, was an Indianized state centered in present-day ...

people (of northern Thailand), Laotians, and by people 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 prov ...

(northeastern Thailand). A ''khantoke'' tray is a short, round table, made of several different materials such as: wood, bamboo or

rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed- canopy old-growth tropical fores ...

. It has a diameter of about but can vary in size and use case. It is comparable to the

daunglan Daunglan ( my, ဒေါင်းလန်း; shn, တွင်းလၢၼ်း) is a circular pedestal tray used to serve meals in Myanmar (Burma), especially in Upper Myanmar. Commonly made of lacquered bamboo, teak or beechwood, the ''daung ...

traditionally used in Burmese cuisine.

Culture

Glutinous rice is generally eaten instead of "fluffy" rice in this culture, which is eaten in the rest of Thailand. Glutinous rice (

Oryza sativa ''Oryza sativa'', commonly known as Asian rice or indica rice, is the plant species most commonly referred to in English as ''rice''. It is the type of farmed rice whose cultivars are most common globally, and was first domesticated in the Yan ...

var. glutinosa; also called "sticky rice", "sweet rice", or "waxy rice" Thai people call it "Khao Neaw") is grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia. It has opaque grains, very low amylose content and is sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous (< Latin glūtinōsus) in the sense of being glue-like or sticky, and not in the sense of containing

gluten Gluten is a structural protein naturally found in certain cereal grains. Although "gluten" often only refers to wheat proteins, in medical literature it refers to the combination of prolamin and glutelin proteins naturally occurring in all grai ...

. While often called "sticky rice", it differs from non-glutinous strains of

japonica rice Japonica rice (''Oryza sativa'' subsp. ''japonica''), sometimes called sinica rice, is one of the two major domestic types of Asian rice varieties. Japonica rice is extensively cultivated and consumed in East Asia, whereas in most other region ...

that also become sticky to some degree when cooked. Numerous cultivars of glutinous rice exist, including japonica, indica and tropical japonica strains. A ''khantoke'' can hold cups of rice and other food, flowers, and candles and fruit.

Dining

People in northern Thailand traditionally sit on the floor when eating. When the food is ready, it is poured into cups or bowls and placed on the ''khantoke'' tray. Then it is ready to be served. ''Khantoke'' is used as dining furniture to keep food off the ground at special occasions such as wedding parties, funerals, housewarming parties and temple festivals. ''Khantoke'' dinners involve different foods depending on social status. ''Khantoke'' dinners are a northern tradition, especially in Chiang Mai,

Chiang Rai Chiang Rai ( th, เชียงราย, ; nod, , เจียงฮาย, ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai ...

, Lamphun, and

Lampang Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang ( th, นครลำปาง, ) to differentiate from Lampang province, is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang province and the Mueang Lampang district. Traditional names for L ...

Ceremonial use

A location is prepared for the guests by providing them with a seat and table. * A fence is built with

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

to shield the event. They are joined together and coconut leaves split down the middle, hunched like Pratupa. * Banana or

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

s are strapped down in a maze-like circle. * Holy thread is used to encircle it (if it is a more important ceremony). * A pitcher is set within a chamber, along with a clubbed Issy penny on cigarettes and tea leaves. * A lamp is created by using wax or candle to encircle it. * The band includes

salo Salo or Salò may refer to: Places Finland *Salo, Finland, a town in Western Finland ** Salo sub-region, a subdivision of Finland Proper and one of the Sub-regions of Finland since 2009 *An old name of Saloinen, a former municipality in Ostrobot ...

, flute and drums. * Jasmine is brought to the host, who in turn gives it to guests as they arrive.

References

{{Lao cuisine Northern Thai cuisine Lao cuisine

Culture

Dining

Ceremonial use

See also

References