Thai Coconut Pancakes — only authentic with the fold. They are fluffy and folded like tacos: Khanom Thang Taek is the name of this market snack. Ready for a sweet tradition?
Hundreds of options and all are good: There is hardly a better place to explore new tastes than a Thai street-food market. Pots steam, grills sizzle and the air is rich with heat and aroma.
When I walked through one of those markets in Chiang Rai in 2007, a wonderful scent of coconut suddenly filled the air. At a stall a vendor was baking Khanom Thang Taek. It’s a pancake that is filled with various ingredients.
Rice flour, coconut milk and sugar — that’s all you need for the batter. At some stalls egg white is added. That’s the deluxe version. The snowy mixture is poured into deep cast-iron pots that sit over the fire.
Thang Taek translates roughly to ‘broken barrel’. Colloquially it can also mean ‘to be broke’. That’s why Khanom Thang Taek are sometimes called the pancakes of the poor. Admittedly: the ingredients are cheap. The finished snack is too.
Thang Taek translates roughly to ‘broken barrel’. Colloquially it can also mean ‘to be broke’.
While the batter slowly turns golden, freshly shredded coconut is added. That is the most common filling. At some stalls you’ll also find threads of egg yolk, whipped egg white or sweetened mung beans.
There are also savory versions with garlic, pepper and dried shrimp. To distribute the heat evenly, the pot is briefly covered with a lid. At stalls working with many pots at once, it’s a bit like a shell-game.
In Chiang Rai you can witness this for example at the Night Bazaar, the Central Market or the Ton Phayom Market. Also at temple festivals Khanom Thang Taek appear. Here the cook is just releasing the finished pancake from the pot. Then it is folded in the middle.
At stalls working with many pots at once, it’s a bit like a shell-game.
Into the dough-pocket the street-cook spreads sweetened whipped egg-white. On top she sprinkles black sesame. Sometimes you also see Khanom Thang Taek with a jade-green filling. That is based on pandan juice. Pandan leaves have a grassy-vanilla flavour. In Southeast Asia this is very popular.
Wrapped up it’s a soft, delicious grab-and-go dessert. But still warm from the hand is best. And it costs only a few baht. If you spot these traditional pancakes on the market: definitely try them!
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