Sampling Local Delicacy Kanom Jeen

If you are the adventurous holidaymakers visiting Krabi, nothing should stop you from trying the food that locals eat. Khanom jeen is different from the dry noodles or noodles in a clear soup that you normally find in Thailand . Kanom jeen is a Krabi popular and spicy dish that consists of distinctive white noodles almost spaghetti-like made from rice flour. These are produced by forcing the rice flour through a sieve into  a pot of  boiling  water, and  are  served  with a curry sauce…

Kanom jeen has many sauces with various flavors, and normally vary from region to region. The most popular in Krabi is the khanom jeen nam yaa , a yellow fish curry sauce made with fish, ginger, garlic, shrimp paste, shallots, galangal, lemon grass, peppers, coconut milk and fish sauce. Another, milder kind of sauce is nam prig , which is made with beans, coconut milk and various spices, and it is usually available for Thai children who are not yet trained for hot food. Kanom jeen can also be served with sound naam , a mild sauce consisting of pineapple, ginger and dried shrimp, the Northern nam ngew , a darker broth with meat, and the ever popular gang gai (chicken curry) or gang keow wan (chicken green curry).

When you eat kanom jeen on the street, you will see that the tables are laid  out  with  trays of

fresh seasonal   vegetables which   you  can help yourself  to,  and they generally  include  basil, greens, cabbage  and bean sprouts. This dish can taste totally different depending on the variety of the accompanying vegetables, which can be served fresh or boiled. A complete bowl of kanom keen should cost you no more than 10-15 baht. Kanom jeen can be literally translated as Chinese pastry, though this is a bit misleading, as it is not a pastry and certainly not Chinese. It is said the dish comes from Southern Thailand , though nowadays you can find it practically in every province of the country, and in every corner of Krabi. Kanom jeen noodles can be bought freshly made in nest like batches in the local markets. When you visit Krabi, try something new, be adventurous.