Kralan

Names

The dish is known by various names throughout Southeast Asia, including paung din (ပေါင်းတင်း) or kauk hnyin kyi dauk (ကောက်ညှင်းကျည်တောက်) in Burmese, kralan (Khmer: ក្រឡាន) in Khmer, and khao lam (Thai: ข้าวหลาม, pronounced; Lao: ເຂົ້າຫລາມ) in Lao and Thai. In Thai, “khao” means glutinous rice and “lam” means the cooking process which involves roasting the contents in prepared bamboo sections.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, it known as lemang, which is typically eaten during Eidul Fitri celebrations, where it can be eaten with rendang.

Cambodia

In Cambodia, kralan cake is often made and eaten at Chinese New Year and Khmer New Year. Thma Krae village in Kratie Province has become well known for its kralan.

Myanmar (Burma)

Paung din (ပေါင်းတင်း) or kaukhnyin kyidauk (ကောက်ညှင်းကျည်တောက်) is another ready-to-eat portable form cooked in a segment of bamboo. When the bamboo is peeled off, a thin skin remains around the rice and also gives off a distinctive aroma.

Thailand

Khao lam uses sticky rice with red beans, sugar, grated coconut and coconut milk roasted in It can be prepared with white or dark purple (khao niao dam) varieties of glutinous rice. Sometimes described as a "cake", thick khao lam containers may have a filling of coconut custard in the center which is made from coconut cream, egg and sugar. khao lam has many advantages. For example, it can be consumed as food or as a dessert It is a cultural food and is an OTOP product. Moreover, Thai people present khao lam to monks to make merit. Furthermore, it is gradually becoming a Thai tradition.

In the past, Thailand had an uncountable number of bamboo trees. Thai people thought about the utility of using bamboo for cooking purposes. The ingredients of khao lam are glutinous rice, black beans, coconut milk, sugar and salt. Moreover, taro or young coconut may be added for a more appetizing taste. To make khao lam, the first step is to cut a piece of bamboo with one knot intact at one end and the other end exposed. Then, clean the outside surface of the bamboo and dry it. The second step is to clean the rice with water until the water turns clear. Then, dry and mix the rice with the black beans.The third step is to mix coconut milk, sugar and salt. The fourth step is pouring the rice prepared in the second step into about two-thired of the bamboo sections, then pour the coconut mixture on top of the rice. The fifth step is to arrange the sections into rows and put a layer of a trunk of a banana tree to cover the side of the section rows. The final step is to roast it the bamboo sections for about 30 - 45 minutes until the sections turn yellow. Then, serve it.

Nowadays, khao lam is not only food or to give to the monks but also has become the product that produce so many benefits and careers for Thai people.