Thai Coconut Sugar Paste
Here we are finally able to offer, for the first time, pure sugar from the coconut palm that has no cane sugar added. In a thick, modern vacuum sealed plastic package, this palm sugar has a soft paste consistency similar to peanut butter.
For years we offered premium, artisan Thai palm sugar in soft cakes. In order to package palm sugar cakes, and as a habit carried over for generations, 20% white cane sugar is added so it will harden up just enough to pour and form into cakes.
Pure coconut palm sugar is prized by top chefs for certain recipes, especially Som Tum because som tum is prepared cold so palm sugar cakes can't fully melt in the mortar (the cakes melt quickly when cooking). See below for our recommended recipes that palm sugar paste is especially perfect for; however, this is a premium sugar that enhances any recipe that calls for palm sugar.
This is brand new stock as fresh as can be, and it's packed in a big 2.2 lb quantity that might be more than most people really need. The target market is restaurants; we are happy to fulfill orders for restaurants or home chefs. Order with confidence and enjoy the best palm sugar ever.
Ingredients: Coconut sugar, water. All Natural.
Thai Green Papaya Salad, 'Som Tum'
Green papaya salad is loved throughout SE Asia in various forms, and we are pleased to present this detailed recipe so you can bring it to your own kitchen. Somtum is a classic Thai dish, commonly associated with the NE (Isaan) area but served all over Thailand, for example here at a sidewalk shop found on our walking tour of good eats in Saochingcha area.
Also see our video features How To Shred Green Papaya for Som Tum, Som Tum Long Bean and Noodle Salad, Som Tum Shredded Mango and Cucumber, and our new feature story on a modern take on Som Tum: Jungle Salad.
Thai Red Curry Chicken, 'Gaeng Phed Gai'
The Thai name of this dish literally means "hot chicken curry". It takes no more than 10 minutes to make this dish but it's full of elegant flavors and aroma.
Thai Shrimp Paste Chile Sauce, 'Nam Prik Kapi'
This recipe is for a very aromatic dipping sauce that is not typically something the American nose will appreciate, but drives the Thai person wild with memories of home (see photo below). Namprik Kapi has a pungent fishy smell and lingers on your breath for hours, but it's truly "authentic" and if you know someone who boasts of being adventurous with food, see if (s)he can tolerate a dish of this. It's a wonderful accompaniment to Lao style vegetarian curry.
We also offer an instant ready-made namprik kapi.
Thai Sweet & Sour Sauce, 'Nam Jim Priao Wan'
This is a simple, Thai-style, sweet and sour sauce. Note that it isn't pink! The sauce is spicy and has complex flavors.
Serve with any grilled meat. We enjoyed it here with chicken, som tum, sticky rice, and hard-boiled eggs.
Khanom Buang
Khanom Buang is a sweet snack found all over Thailand, made by street vendors who have mastered the art. It's history can be traced back 600 years to the Ayuttya Period. We've never found Khanom Buang in an American Thai restaurant. It does take practice, and we've presented a street vendor video below for indispensable guidance. As you watch the video, take note of hand movements. Our recipe is genuine, and tastes fantastic, "just like Thailand" but our recipe includes coconut topping only. As in the video, two others toppings are common: foy tong (sweetened egg yolk dessert) and salty shrimp mixture. We'll add a recipe for foy tong and salty shrimp later.
We made Khanom Buang on a flat electric pancake griddle which worked perfectly. A friend who makes this in Thailand insists on adding Ovaltine to the batter, and we love the malty chocolate flavor, but you can leave this out (or add less) if you prefer a non-chocolate version.
Required Tool: Kra-ja (flat spreader). We recommend using two while preparing this recipe. One for the batter and one for the cream.
Also See: Chilli Jam, "Prik Pao" (street vendor video included)