Koh Lanta flavors
Khanom Jak
A traditional Southern Thai sweet — a soft paste of glutinous rice flour, grated coconut, and palm sugar spread onto nipa-palm leaves, folded, and grilled over coals until the parcel chars and the filling turns chewy and caramel-sweet. Sold warm and fragrant with smoke.
About this dish
Khanom jak is one of Southern Thailand's oldest traditional sweets, named for the jak (nipa palm) whose long leaves give it both its wrapper and its character. The filling is simple and ancient: glutinous rice flour kneaded with grated coconut and dark palm sugar (and sometimes mashed banana or taro) into a soft, fragrant paste. A spoonful is spread along a strip of nipa-palm leaf, which is folded over and pinned with tiny slivers of bamboo, then the parcels are laid over a low charcoal grill. As they cook, the leaf chars and perfumes the sweet inside with smoke while the filling sets to a dense, chewy, caramel-rich bite. Sold warm in little bundles from roadside griddles and markets across Koh Lanta and the Andaman coast, khanom jak is an inexpensive, deeply local treat that has barely changed in generations — the taste of Southern Thai home baking.
Allergen information
Preparation methods may vary by restaurant. Always confirm with staff if you have severe allergies.