Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Rabieng's Northern Style Mieng Kham Leaf Wraps!

As Fall approaches, we have been working on a few additions to our repertoire of indigenous Thai fare.  Rabieng is proud to introduce our version of Mieng Kham- a traditional leaf wrapped, finger snack originating in Northern Thailand.  Translated, "Mieng Kham" literally means, "morsels of food in a bite".  

Mieng Kham is an old world snack consisting of a small sampling of natural ingredients, each specifically chosen to tantalize the four flavor profiles of Thai cuisine:  sweet, salty, sour & spicy.  Traditional Mieng Kham consists of:  Betel leafs, dehydrated shrimp, toasted coconut slivers, roasted peanuts, diced red onions, Thai chili peppers, ginger, and limes (with peel).  Simply add a smidgen of each to a leaf, a dab of Mieng sauce (a caramel of fish sauce and palm sugar).  The finished product should be a bite-sized leaf wrap.

As odd as these ingredients sound individually, the resulting combination is comparable to the filling of an "Almond Joy"- crunchy coconut & salted caramel!  While we have tweaked the ingredients just a tad to suit our desired taste & texture profile, Rabieng's Mieng Kham is a homage true to authenticity.  Try it with a cold beer!  

Mieng Kham is simple, yet complex, delightful and delicious!  It is no wonder that this rather "primitive" food remains a popular Thai snack today.  


Dehydrated shrimp never tasted so good!  Yes, that's a tiny wedge of lime with peel.  Wrapped up and ready to enjoy!!!