This weekend I am visiting my parents in Nakhon Si Thammarat in Southern Thailand. Every time I come to my hometown I make sure to eat the signature dish of Nakhon Si Thammarat. This dish is called Kanom Jeen [ขนมจีน]
Kanom Jeen [ขนมจีน] is soft and thin noodles made from fermented rice. The way to eat Kanom jeen is to top it with a variety of curries (you could mix everything together or only the one curry you like) and eat together with any number of fresh, blanched, and pickled vegetables. The most basic condiments are long beans, pickled mustard greens, shredded cabbage, sprouts, and Thai basil leaves. In the south สะตอ [SaTaw] aka stinky beans (carried in long, flat and wavy, over-sized, bright green seedpods. Each seedpod yields only a small handful of seeds.) are commonly added in the tray.
1. น้ำยา /nam ya/ : The fish curry sauce made with fish, ginger, garlic, shrimp paste, shallots, galangal, lemon grass, peppers, coconut milk and fish sauce.
2. แกงเขียวหวานลูกชิ้นปลา /gang kiaow wan luuk-chin bplaa/ : mild and lightly sweet coconut-green chili curry with fish balls
3. น้ำพริก /naam prik/ : sweet chilly paste made with shrimp and coconut milk
When I was a kid I only went for Kanom Jeen with Nam prik because of it’s sweetness and it is not as spicy as the other curries. I think our food tastes change as we you grow up , now I love Nam Ya and Gang Kiaw Waan
In Northern Thailand, you will find ขนมจีน น้ำเงี๊ยว – khanom jeen nam ngiaw more common, this curry is made with garlic, red curry paste, yellow bean sauce, diced tomatoes, turmeric, fish sauce, spring onion and coriander, with either chicken or pork ribs.
To try this dish in Bangkok the convenient place would be Kanom Jeen Buffet Chao Din, which is 59 baht for all you can eat on the 5th Floor of MBK (Maboonkrong) Mall.
Have you had Kanom Jeen before?
🙂
Mod
what are the best places for this signature dish in Nakhon Si Thammarat ?