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Khao Yam Pak Tai

เธ‚เน‰เธฒเธงเธขเธณเธ›เธฑเธเธฉเนŒเนƒเธ•เน‰

About

Khao Yam Pak Tai is a vibrant Southern Thai rice salad bursting with fresh herbs, toasted coconut, and dried shrimp, dressed in a pungent budu (fermented fish) sauce. It offers a complex balance of salty, sour, spicy, and umami flavors, often enjoyed as a light meal or shared dish.

Cultural Context

Khao Yam Pak Tai is a staple of Southern Thai cuisine, often eaten as a communal dish during family meals or festivals. Its bold flavors reflect the region's Malay and seafood-influenced culinary traditions. The budu sauce, a fermented fish product, is a signature ingredient of Southern Thai cooking.

Ingredients

2 cupsjasmine rice(cooked and cooled)
50 gdried shrimp(toasted and roughly chopped)
1 cupgrated coconut(fresh or unsweetened, toasted)
2 stalkslemongrass(thinly sliced)
5 leaveskaffir lime leaves(thinly sliced)
1/2 cupThai basil(chopped)
1/2 cupmint(chopped)
1/2 cupcoriander(chopped)
1 cupbean sprouts(blanched)
3 tbspbudu sauce(fermented fish sauce)
2 tbsplime juice(freshly squeezed)
1 tbsppalm sugar(grated)
2-3 piecesbird's eye chilies(finely chopped (adjust to taste))

Method

1. Toast dried shrimp and coconut separately until fragrant. 2. Combine cooled rice with fresh herbs, sprouts, and toasted ingredients. 3. Mix budu sauce with lime juice, palm suga...

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Techniques Used

Regional Variations

Central Thailand

Often uses nam pla (fish sauce) instead of budu and may include pomelo segments

Malaysian border areas

Sometimes incorporates shredded green mango and more turmeric

Dietary

Gluten-Freefishshellfish

Sources

๐Ÿ“–

Leela Punyaratabandhu โ€” Bangkok: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand

2017cookbook
๐Ÿ“–

Southern Thai Food โ€” Thai Food Master

2020websiteโ†— link
๐Ÿ“–

Supatra Johnson โ€” The Food of Southern Thailand

2015articleโ†— link

Research Evidence

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