Kanom Koh: Stories and Flavors Passed Through Time

Abstract

Kanom Koh (Kanom Go) is a traditional dessert known in the Khao Nai area, Choeng Sae Sub-district, Krasae Sin District, Songkhla Province. This name has been familiar and used for at least 100 years. Although the main ingredients of Kanom Koh are only glutinous rice and palm sugar, the collected data reveals that there are up to five different types of Kanom Koh in the Khao Nai area. These include both the traditional forms and newly adapted versions. However, the current situation shows that fewer local people are making this dessert. Interestingly, Kanom Koh is found to be used in local rituals among both the southern Thai Buddhists in the Sathing Phra Peninsula and the Malay Muslims in the southern border provinces. Historically, the Siamese have known Kanom Go since at least the Ayutthaya period. Moreover, during the Rattanakosin period, Kanom Go was one of the desserts that required a tax if someone wanted to sell it. The name Kanom Go also appears in literature from both the Thonburi and early Rattanakosin periods.