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| Alternative names | Wan yen,chamba |
|---|---|
| Type | Shaved ice orsnow cone |
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Thailand |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Ice, toppings |
| Variations | Pang yen (namkhaeng sai with bread), ice-creamnamkhaeng sai, etc. |
Namkhaeng sai (Thai:น้ำแข็งไส,pronounced[nám.kʰɛ̌ŋsǎj]) is a Thai version ofshaved ice orsnow cone. It is also known aswan yen (Thai:หวานเย็น) orchamba (Thai:จ้ำบ๊ะ).Namkhaeng sai is simply shaved ice in a bowl, poured on top with sweet syrup and condensed milk. The wordnamkhaeng sai directly translated as "clear ice".
Namkhaeng sai wasn’t recorded but is believed to be created in 1947 when the red sweet syrup was popular. There are several ingredients fornamkhaeng sai. The main ingredients are shaved ice, sauces, and toppings.
Other desserts such assarim,thapthim krop, andlot chong are partially similar tonamkhaeng sai with different ingredients. Many desserts from other countries likebingsu andkakikori share characteristics withnamkhaeng sai but the style of shaved ice (fine, rough, and strip length, etc.) and how toppings are decorated differs for each country of origin.
Nam Khaeng has been in Thailand for a very long time and thus it shares many histories with us. It is influenced by Thai culture in its taste, eating occasions, and naturally prominent hot weather. The same applies to Thai people too, some behaviors are induced by havingnamkhaeng sai in their daily lives.
During the reign ofKing Rama IV (Mongkut) of Siam, ice was imported, leading to the construction of the first ice factory and consequently enabling the invention ofnamkhaeng sai. Ice was sent from Singapore, packaged inside a wooden crate, and transported by water on the steamboat namedChao Phrayam. Chao Phraya Phisonsombatboribun (Yim Bisalayaputra), titled Phra Phasisombatboribun, issued the ice order which was considered astonishing at that time.[1]
In 1905, the first ice factory in Thailand was established byPhraya Bhakdi Noraset (Lert Sreshthaputra) atSaphan Lek, Charoen Krung Road. It was named "Siam Ice Factory"; people also called it "Nai Lert Ice Factory" which later on spread to suburbs around Bangkok. Ice was then adapted for use in desserts such aslot chong, Thai cantaloupe cake,sarim, thapthim krop, taro, andnamkhaeng sai.[2][3]
Firstnamkhaeng sai originated from the Chinese in Phetchaburi province, combining shaved ice withpathongko and red syrup. Later in 1947, condensed milk was very popular and became one of the ingredients poured on top to flavornamkhaeng sai, which then was calledchamba. There are two reasons for its name, first is thatnamkhaeng sai's shape is similar to women's bosom and apparel color ofchamba erotic dancer.[4] The other reason is the distortion of the Teochew Chinese wordchamba for its vague pronunciation.
Nowadays,chamba is modified to have diverse ingredients and make it more savory and valuable. Many restaurants use bread innamkhaeng sai but some may use cheesecakes or brownies. Additionally, not only has red syrup been used but also juice, tea, coffee, chocolate powder, or milk. Decorated with toppings such as fresh fruits, candied fruits, grain, jelly, crackers, cereal, and others according to each restaurant's idea. The dessert can easily be found in shopping malls, local markets, or street stalls. It is still one of the most popular cool-down desserts for everyone to date.[5][6]
Namkhaeng sai is by its meaning just ice getting shaved off by shaved ice machine or shaved ice table becoming ice flakes and piled up to make the shape of an ice mountain. This is the main part of the dessertnamkhaeng sai. Next is putting the ice flakes into a container, usually a bowl or a cup in some shops, to prepare it for dressing with syrup and toppings. We then pour the syrup of choice on it to create different main flavors, some examples of these syrups are red syrup and condensed milk. The product we have right now is essentially a completed simplest form ofnamkhaeng sai and is ready to eat. However, to give it more textures and add variety to one’s preferences, nowadays shops always have choices for toppings to choose from; cereal, bread, and sticky rice are such toppings. After adding these to the bowl it is now ready to eat.[7]
Thenamkhaeng sai mentioned above is sold at street stalls or small shops. In restaurants,namkhaeng sai may have its preset ingredients which come on different menus. Some of them also became signature dishes or portray the shop’s intentions and motivations.
Namkhaeng sai aside from signature menus in restaurants don't have a specific set of ingredients and is usually selectable from the things available at the time of ordering. Customers can choose several ingredients, excluding syrups and condensed milk, up to 4-5 to put in theirnamkhaeng sai bowl. The ingredients commonly found to be used innamkhaeng sai are listed below.
| Sauce | Toppings | |
|---|---|---|
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Some other desserts are similar tonamkhaeng sai. Some desserts arenamkhaeng sai but in different countries with adding extra ingredients. Moreover, some desserts use ice as a base likenamkhaeng sai.
These are other desserts that have ice as the base ingredient. Here are some examples of Thai dessert variants.
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Other countries have desserts that are similar tonamkhaeng sai. For example:
Japan:Kakigori
Kakigori is a Japanese shaved ice that ranges from an ice with fruit syrup refresher until a well-refined topped dessert with condensed milk, azuki bean anddango mochi.
Taiwan:Tshuah-Ping
Tshuah-Ping,tsua Bing orbaobing, is a Taiwanese shaved ice that is celebrated for juicy toppings. The toppings could be sugar water, condensed milk or seasonal fruit.
There is a classic one,xuehua bing, where the shaved ice is based from frozen milk, mung beans and grass jelly.
South Korean:Bingsu
Bingsu orbingsoo, is a Korean shaved ice that is also popular in Thailand. The differences betweenbingsu andkakigori are the base and toppings. Bingsu uses milk to create shaved ice butkakigori uses water. The toppings ofbingsu typically offer a chunky topping such as popping boba, chopped boba and more.
Philippines:Halo-halo
There are many ice desserts in the Philippines but the most famous ishalo-halo.Halo-halo, or mix-mix translated to English, is a Filipino shaved ice that is iconically served in clear tall glass which shows every layer and texture .
India:Ice gola
Ice gola is an Indian shaved ice that is ultimately portable for street dessert. It’s a simple shaved ice covered with sugar syrup served on a stick similar to shaved ice in the United States. It has several names such as gola, baraf gola, chuski, ice lolly, Mumbai’s Slurpee
Indonesia:Es campur
Es campur, Mixed ice translated to English, is an Indonesian shaved ice that similar to Bingsu or Halo halo in its elaborate toppings
Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore:Ais Kacang
Turkey:Bici bici
Bici bici has starch and rose water as a special ingredient. Starch mixing with water is used as a base for shaved ice and rose water for flavoring. The top ofbici bici is sprinkled with sugar.
In Thailand,namkhaeng sai perfectly correlates to how people perceive the weather, eating behavior, street food culture, childhood beliefs and lifestyle, or different opinions on the topic between generations.
Namkhaeng sai is said to be one of the desserts of choice to suppress smell from food and also to quench one’s thirst. Aligning with Thailand’s all-year-long hot weather, it is perfect for relieving the situation. In the recent past, in country areas or streets in cities, children who went home from school usually stopped by small shops selling ice cream or shaved ice to cool the heat off.[10][11]
Fornamkhaeng sai, the name itself was oncechamba, related to shows with the same name, "chamba erotic dancing". This show was very popular in the 1950s and is often held during temple fairs, where adults gather and watch the dance. The show is straightforward, female dancers will wear flashy, revealing clothes and dance on the stage. During the show, movements primarily involve flashing their genitals and shaking their breasts left and right to arouse audiences.
When vendors sellnamkhaeng sai in these fairs where there is achamba show, people who buynamkhaeng sai would relate its bulging shape to the dancers’ bosom. Red-colored syrup poured on top adds to the imagination as it resembles a flashy dress color worn by dancers. Furthermore, the action of “sprinkling” milk sounds and looks close to “shaking”, adding yet another naughty thought to relatenamkhaeng sai with thechamba dance.[6]
Nowadays,chamba cannot be found anywhere as these shows gradually lose their popularity over time, and thus the relation of the name "chamba" withnamkhaeng sai is less used. Only a small number of people, presumably at the very least middle-aged and above, still remember this show and how come it is linked with thenamkhaeng sai dessert.
Namkhaeng sai, although originated as street food and is commonly seen sold on roadsides or near communities in mobile stalls, is also sold in dedicatedcafés which have their uniqueness and possess evident qualities as proper dessert restaurants. These stores would servenamkhaeng sai in multiple variants aside from its original form, notablyBingsu, providing customers with choices they preferred.
Saisai is anamkhaeng sai store using ingredients like vegetables, fruits, and local commodities to makenamkhaeng sai toppings. Examples are 3-species pumpkins withSago,Dahlia with fried onion, orKrill with Palm flower syrup. The café uses out-of-norm ingredients to make their servings but is made easy for people to eat despite their unfamiliarity. The place claimed that introducing these new tastes to people will also help farmers generate more income.
"Nature just got tastier" is the slogan of this place due to the founders’ intentions to promote local natural products by using them in theirnamkhaeng sai menus.[12]
Lukkaithong, in the Emquartier shopping mall, was originally a restaurant witha Michelin guide guaranteeing its quality. Owners of Lukkaithong, Sangnarong Montriwat, and Kanchana Tathiyakul, thought of creating a signature dessert for their restaurant. They choseThai tea to be the base for the dessert because it is one of the most popular beverages they knew.namkhaeng sai, shaved ice, was chosen to be that dessert due to their personal experience of enjoying it as a child to beat the heat, and easiness to eat and share with other people. So they combined Thai tea andnamkhaeng sai, then through trial and error they arrived at the present menu'spang cha.
The two creators said that the idea of combining Thai tea with Namkhaneg Sai to make Pang Cha is not difficult to think up, but is hard to maintain consistency due to the nature of tea leaves differing in each season which affects taste and richness. So they had to adjust the recipe for each season to get the tea they wanted and set up the right combinations of fresh milk and condensed milk to make the ideal texture and consistency for the menu.
Pang Cha was originally just Thai tea shaved ice with bread. Toppings were then added, and three types oftapioca pearls: glass pearls for crunchiness, Thai tea pearls for color and aroma, and black tea pearls for texture and sweetness. White bread, almond slices, and whipped cream are also added as toppings. Shaved ice part of this menu is in the form of fluffy mountain from piled up thin ice floss.[13]
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