（Khao chae (soaked rice) is an icy, seasonal dish served with myriad accoutrements）
The sweltering heat during Buddhist New Year calls for Thailand’s cooling khao chae, a fragrant and refreshing bowl of rice delicately scented with flowers.
By the time Songkran, Thailand’s new year based on the Buddhist calendar, arrives in April, the temperatures in the Southeast Asian country are soaring. The sky is typically blue and spotless, so reprieve under the shade of a passing cloud is non-existent while the humidity is as thick as a fleece blanket. One way to cool off is in the country-wide water fights that take place during the annual celebrations (this year from 13-15 April), which include water guns, buckets and coloured powder smeared onto the face like war paint. Another way to celebrate and cool off is to eat khao chae.
Khao chae (soaked rice) is an icy, seasonal treat that marks the beginning of summer in Thailand. The history of the dish can be traced back hundreds of years to the Mon people, an ethnic group that originated throughout Myanmar and Thailand and integrated into what was then Siamese society in the 16th Century.
“The form of khao chae that we’re looking at right now, especially in Bangkok, has very little resemblance to the Mon khao chae,” says Leela Punyaratabandhu, a Thai scholar and the author of the 2017 cookbook Bangkok, which includes a recipe for khao chae. In the 16th Century, the soaked rice porridge was served in terracotta pots to keep the dish cold because ice wasn’t readily available. The accompanying side dishes were also not nearly as intricate as they would eventually become.
It was within the kingdom of Siam’s royal family, dating back to King Rama IV’s rule in the 19th Century, that the dish blossomed into something far more complex – a metamorphosis of its humble origins. A lot of effort was made to ensure that khao chae looked visually beautiful, so side dishes included delicately carved vegetables shaped into flowers. In addition, ice, which was impossible for commoners to get at the time, distinguished kaho chae as an exclusively royal dish.
The recipe that exists now has been passed down through generations of royal cooks and aristocratic families. The dish starts by vigorously washing jasmine rice to remove all the starch. “You have to wash the rice more than regular steamed rice so it doesn’t stick together when cooked,” explains Max Wittawat, the executive chef of New York City’s Bangkok Supper Club. Wittawat grew up in Bangkok and was taught to make khao chae by culinary artist and teacher Jantararat Hemvej, who is known in Bangkok for having perfected khao chae.
Since the rice also needs to withstand being soaked for long periods without falling apart, which would render the dish cloudy, washing it is especially important. After it’s steamed, the rice is submerged in ice water that’s perfumed with the scent of flowers, ranging from jasmine, ylang ylang, damask roses and bread flowers. “It’s a mark of summer when the flowers bloom,” adds Wittawat.
（Jasmine (pictured), ylang ylang, damask roses and bread flowers are used to perfume the water for the rice）
Punyaratabandhu has childhood memories of her grandfather using a spreadsheet to track the specific times that the flowers bloomed in his garden. “All of this was very systematic,” she says. It’s important to pick the flowers at the precise time – typically the evening before preparing khao chae – in order to achieve the optimal fragrance. From there, the flowers are submerged in water for at least two hours to imbue their aroma.
Even the process of soaking the flowers is very intentional. If the flowers are left in the water for too long, they will bruise and go bad, leaving the water with a pungent and off-putting flavour. If they aren’t steeped long enough, the bouquet will not be impactful enough to stand up to the side dishes served alongside khao chae. To enhance the dish’s fragrance even further, a Thai culinary candle known as tian op may be used to smoke the flowery water.
And that’s just the base of the dish. Khao chae is an experience that includes many elaborate accoutrements. “It’s not only hard to make, but it’s hard to eat as well,” says Punyaratabandhu. This is because there are a lot of pungent, salty and fishy flavours that could be unfamiliar to some. “Shrimp paste balls mixed with fish and then dipped in egg and fried? It’s a far cry from pad see ew [stir-fried noodles].”
When Punyaratabandhu began writing her cookbook, she struggled with whether or not she should include a recipe for khao chae, knowing how impractical and challenging the dish can be to prepare at home. “I knew it was going to be a tough sell, but also it’s a part of Bangkok,” she explains. “My job was to be faithful to whatever is happening in Bangkok.”
Even Wittawat admits that khao chae, outside of the aristocratic society of Bangkok, was not really in Thailand’s zeitgeist until the past 10 years, when many chefs began reflecting on their Thai heritage and exploring culturally significant and historical dishes. “Before that, it was very old school and not common in restaurants,” he says. “But nowadays, with technology, the flowers can bloom throughout the year, and it has risen so much in popularity.”
Recently, khao chae has become a social media darling due to its myriad side dishes, like shrimp paste dumplings, elaborately carved vegetables, stuffed shallots and peppers, sweetened beef and pork jerky and delicate egg nests. It’s visually stunning, especially when served in traditional Thai pots or tiffins. “Sometimes, it’s too pretty to eat,” Wittawat says.
There is a particular way to enjoy the dish to avoid muddying the crystal-clear flower-scented water. “You’re not supposed to put all the condiments with the rice,” Wittawat says. Instead, you should alternate eating the rice and side dishes. Vegetables and pickles can cut through the heavier flavours of sweetened beef and salty shrimp paste. “This is the fun thing about khao chae,” Wittawat says, acknowledging that the various flavours work in tandem to keep the meal fresh and exciting. “You can continue eating more and more.”
Wittawat is happy that khao chae, once exclusive to the royal family and upper echelon of Thai society, is now more readily available and accessible to everyone – especially during Songkran, when Thailand is so hot. “Thai people are returning to their roots,” he says. “They’re appreciating their history and culture.
