Satun: Vendors in Satun Province are preserving a unique culinary tradition by continuing to make ‘Khao Niew Mo Khao Mo Kaeng Ling,’ a rare Thai dessert rooted in local wisdom that is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
According to Thai News Agency, the dessert, also known as sticky rice with pitcher plant, requires a meticulous preparation process that begins with sourcing a specific type of plant from the forest. The plant, known in the region as the Mo Khao Kaeng Ling, grows only in select mountainous areas of Satun. Ms. Nongnuch, a 53-year-old local vendor, has inherited this culinary practice from her mother, who has been making the dessert for over 30 years. Ms. Nongnuch now carries on this tradition, having started her own production and sales two years ago to prevent the dessert from vanishing.
The creation of Khao Niew Mo Khao Mo Kaeng Ling involves careful cleaning of the monkey pot plant to remove insects, followed by washing sticky rice six times. The rice is then sun-dried and mixed with
coconut cream and milk, seasoned with salt and sweeteners. This mixture is poured into the cleaned plant containers, which are then steamed for an hour over low heat to achieve the dessert’s distinctive sweet and creamy flavor. The dessert is mainly produced during the rainy season when the plant is abundant, as it naturally dies off during dry spells.
Ms. Nongnuch sells the sticky rice with pitcher plant at the entrance of an alley in Khlong Khut Subdistrict and takes orders from the Eat@Satun group, generating a daily income of 300 baht. The dessert is priced at 20 baht per box, with each kilogram of sticky rice yielding 18 boxes. Despite the challenges posed by seasonal availability and the labor-intensive process, Ms. Nongnuch remains committed to maintaining this piece of Satun’s culinary heritage.