Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice - Sticky rice is an Asian food and is the main rice eaten in Northern Thailand, and the northeast Thailand Isan region. In Thailand and Isan, sticky rice is kao neaw (Thai ข้าวเหนียว) Northern (Thai เข้าหนึ้ง) : "kao" means rice, and "neaw" means sticky. It is cooked by soaking it for several hours and then steaming in a bamboo pot (Thai หวด). After that, it should be turned out on a clean surface and kneaded with a wooden paddle: this results in rice balls that will stick to themselves but not to fingers. The large rice ball is kept in a small bamboo basket (Thai กระติบ). The rice is sticky but dry, rather than wet and gummy like non-sticky varieties. The fingers of the right hand are used to eat it by wadding the rice into small bite sized balls. Two of the most popular dishes are gai yaang and tam mak houng (Thai Isan ตำหมากหุ่ง, better known in the West by the standard Thai name som dtam). Gai yaang is grilled chicken, while tam mak hung is a spicy papaya salad, which does not actually contain sticky rice, but is accompanied by sticky rice.

The northern Thais consume sticky rice as part of their main diet. In Asian Culture some of the older Thais prefer sticky rice to other rice varieties. Lao people also use toasted sticky rice (kao kua) to add a nut like flavor to many dishes. It is used as the basis for the brewing of sato (Thai:สาโท), an alcoholic beverage also known as "Thai rice wine".
Kao neaw is also eaten with desserts. Kao neaw moon is Kao neaw steamed with coconut milk that can be served with ripened mango or durian. And kao neaw kluay is banana and kao neaw steamed together, usually with coconut milk. Many foreigners from France, America, Australia, Africa, Germany and other countries, come to Thailand and sample the Asian culture and the many varieties of Asian foods.