TasteAtlas triumph: Kanom Krok flips to victory as top ASEAN pancake
Online foodie travel guide TasteAtlas ranked Thai dessert Kanom Krok as the fourth best pancake in the world. Additionally, the delectable dessert was crowned champion in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
TasteAtlas last week released its list of Top 85 Pancakes in the World on its platform with one of Thailand’s much-loved desserts, Kanom Krok, high on the list.
Kanom Krok (ขนมครก) is a Thai-style coconut pancake made in a round iron pan with several small depressions, similar to the pan used for the popular Japanese snack called takoyaki. The dessert is made from coconut milk mixed with sugar, glutinous rice flour and rice flour giving a light sweet taste and creamy texture.
The pan makes the bottom of the Kanom Krok crispy while the creamy coconut milk remains on top. As well as the plain coconut milk option, some shops offer Kanom Krok with various toppings on top. The most popular toppings are chopped spring onion, corn and taro.
Thai expats in the United States recently took to social media to share their fondness for Kanom Krok. Reports surfaced that the ready-to-eat Kanom Krok, marketed by the American grocery chain Trader Joe’s, was sold out across almost all stores last week.
Thai people living in the US also sampled Trader Joe’s version of Kanom Krok and unanimously praised its authentic taste, considering it a delightful remedy for cravings and homesickness. Some Thais even expressed their enthusiasm on Facebook by purchasing as many as 25 packs of the dessert, fearing its disappearance from the shelves.
Topping the list of favourites is the French-style crêpes, closely followed by the Austrian delicacy Kaiserschmarrn and the Chinese breakfast staple Jianbing.
This is not the first Thai food to make its mark on the world rankings. In the past, TasteAtlas has included Thai food and drink on several of its lists. Thai food recommended by the platform included Pad Kaprao (stir-fried holy basil), Khao Soi (curry noodles), Som Tam (papaya salad), Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken soup), and Thai tea.
