Rice can be black, brown, brownish purple, rose red, golden yellow, green and even blue
As long as there is fish in the water, there is rice in the field, goes a popular saying in Thailand. The expression means something like: Thailand, which boasts 62 million rai rice fields, is blessed with a rich food supply.
Rice pudding
Anyone who has ever been to Isaan knows it. The endless rice fields, stretching from village to village. Often small plots, surrounded by an earthen wall where - depending on the season - you can see the rice stalks swaying in the wind.
Poem of the week: The silence of an orange morning
In a small Thai village, dawn brings an age-old ritual to life. Monks in orange robes silently march through the streets, while women kneel reverently with offerings. But even in this serene tradition, modern influences are creeping in, as evidenced by the young monk consulting his smartphone. An intriguing glimpse into a country of contrasts.
Poem of the week: The soul of Thailand's green gold
Once a week we publish a submitted poem here. Do you have inspiration? Send us your poem about Thailand. This week a poem about the rice fields of Thailand.
Thai Pineapple Rice – Khao Pad Sapparod (Video)
Pineapple is known worldwide and is also called "king of tropical fruit". This fruit is native to Brazil and a number of other South American countries. World production is now dominated by Southeast Asia, especially Thailand and the Philippines. Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Rice) is easy to make and tastes great
Rice farmers in Thailand: traditional versus modern
Rice is the beating heart of Thailand, woven into both its culture and economy. From fragrant jasmine rice to regional sticky rice, this crop is essential to daily life. Millions of farmers grow it, while modern techniques and sustainability are making their way in. Despite changes, rice remains a symbol of tradition and prosperity in the country.
Dutch custom (reader's submission)
When I used to eat Chinese food, I avoided rice because of the dry, flavorless grains. That changed when I met my Thai other half. We discovered Thai Pandan Jasmine rice, a fragrant and tender variety that completely changed my view of rice. But why do Dutch people often prefer the large, dry granules? Here I share my experiences and questions about this Dutch rice custom.
Thai cuisine has a variety of exotic dishes that will thrill your taste buds. Some of these delights can be found in the regions. Today Khao kan chin is a special rice dish with pig's blood from Northern Thailand and with a history from the Lanna period.
Khao man kai (chicken with rice) with recipe
Thai surprises: Khao mu daeng (rice with red pork)
Today a rice dish with origins in Chinese cuisine: Char siew with rice, but in Thailand the dish is called: Khao mu daeng, rice with slices of red pork.
"In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread"
In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread. That was true in the Netherlands and still is true for many people in Thailand. Even if it's not about bread, but about rice.
Drought threatens rice fields in Khon Kaen due to El Niño effect
A persistent shortage of rainfall in Khon Kaen province is endangering rice fields. Farmers are struggling with falling water levels and the threat of crop loss. The current drought, which is amplified by the El Niño phenomenon, is causing streams and tributaries to dry out. Local authorities are looking for solutions, including the construction of soil cement dams, to tackle this crisis
Khao Man Gai (ข้าวมันไก่), or boiled chicken on rice, is a favorite meal for many Thais. It is a simple dish, but no less tasty.
Food, a national obsession in Thailand
If you think that Thai Boxing (Muay Thai) is the national sport of Thailand, I can help you out of that dream. There is only one national sport: food!
Reader question: Growing rice near my house as a hobby
Purely for the hobby and fun I want to grow rice at home in a number of concrete rings with a diameter of 80 cm. In the meantime I have filled these concrete rings with sand from rice fields. I enriched the soil with cow manure and some other organic substances.
A fairy tale from the Isaan
In the Isan (northeast of Thailand) you will find numerous small villages, where farmers try to build a reasonable living in rice cultivation. The farmers in that area all have one thing in common: they are poor!
Thailand's position in the world rice market
The famed jasmine rice, the star of Thailand's grain exports, won a top prize at the World Rice Conference this month for the sixth time since 2009. The “Khao Dawk Mali 105” – a code name for the most famous Thai jasmine rice variety – beat rivals from Cambodia, China, the United States and Vietnam with “its combination of aroma, texture and taste,” said the jury of the annual Rice Suppliers Forum and policymakers.
Reader question: What does a rai of Thai rice yield?
Who knows approximately how much THB a rai normal rice (not jasmine rice) currently fetch. If no one knows the answer to my question, who has an idea how I can find out?
Thailand exports less and less rice
Thailand risks losing its position as the world's second largest rice exporter this year. The Thai Rice Exporters Association expects Vietnam to take second place. This is due to higher production costs than the competitor, a lack of rice varieties to meet the changing market demand, unfavorable exchange rates and the drought.
Two weeks ago, riots broke out between demonstrators and security forces in Roi Et at a hearing on the planned construction of a sugar factory in the Pathum Rat district. The Banpong Sugar Company wants to build a sugar cane processing plant there with a target capacity of 24.000 tons of sugar cane per day.
Due to both the drought and the floods in Northeast Thailand, the number of paddy rice is expected to be 2019 tons lower in the 2020-488.000 crop year. In the province of Surin, a disease reduced yields.
Winter in Isan (5)
There is a pleasant bustle in and around the village. Mopeds with sidecar and