[A Taste of Thailand: Sankaya Fak Thong]
Both domestically and internationally, Yamaichi's Chinese Seiro is gaining popularity. One distinctive feature of this steamer is its domed lid design, allowing for the expansion of steamed buns and ma la gao—both dishes that rise in height during cooking. This design prevents the dough from sticking to the lid. The lid and body of the steamer each have an inner height of 6cm, making a stacked steamer a total of 12cm. When using ingredients around 8 to 10cm in height, there's ample steam circulation.
Recently, I received a plump and appetizing kabocha squash from my family's home. I wondered if it could be steamed whole in the seiro and started searching for recipes. This is how I discovered "sankaya fak thong," a Thai dessert made by hollowing out a kabocha squash, pouring in a sweet custard mixture of coconut milk, eggs, and sugar, and then steaming the whole thing. Locally, it's common to use palm sugar derived from duck eggs and coconut trees.
For a small kabocha squash, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes for the custard to set and the inside to be fully cooked. After letting it cool a bit, I enjoy it chilled from the refrigerator. The combination of the sweet kabocha and coconut milk custard results in a subtly sweet and gentle flavor that's perfect as a dessert or a tea-time treat.
Thailand, characterized by its tropical monsoon climate, maintains an average annual temperature of 29℃. The weather is hot and humid, with three distinct seasons: the dry season from November to March, the hot season from April to May, and the rainy season from June to October. During the rainy season, daily short-lived showers of about 1 to 2 hours are common, and the refreshing feeling after the rain is a unique allure. After the rain, the vibrant colors of plants and the city come to life. This vividness extends to Thai sweets, which often showcase a vivid and vibrant color palette.
From everyday dishes to international confections, why not explore the diverse world of flavors using Yamaichi's Chinese Seiro?
Yamaichi's Chinese Seiro
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamaichi/seiro.html
Otera Kohachiro Shoten's Kanamari S
https://www.shokunin.com/en/otera/kanamari.html
References
https://recipe.rakuten.co.jp/recipe/1360000781/ (recipe)
https://thailand-navi.com/introduce/egg-custard-in-pumpkin
https://www.thailandtravel.or.jp/about/weather/
