Kralan
| Kralan | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | ក្រឡាន |
| Other names | Sticky rice in bamboo |
| Dish types | Snack; Rice dish |
| Subjects | Food & Foodways; Celebrations & Life Passages; History & Remembrance; Work & Livelihoods |
| Related dishes | Num Ansom Chek |
Glutinous rice, beans and coconut milk roasted inside a bamboo tube over coals.
Kralan (Khmer: ក្រឡាន) is glutinous rice, beans and coconut milk roasted inside a bamboo tube over coals. (Wikipedia: Sticky rice in bamboo)
Cultural context
In Cambodia sticky rice in bamboo is called kralan and is made by roasting glutinous rice with black-eyed peas or beans, coconut milk, grated coconut and palm sugar in bamboo tubes over a fire for around 90 minutes. (Wikipedia: Sticky rice in bamboo) It is often eaten at Chinese and Khmer New Year, archaeological evidence indicates rice was cooked in bamboo by Mon-Khmer tribes, and in the Khmer Empire kralan served as military rations. (Wikipedia: Sticky rice in bamboo) Thma Krae village in Kratie Province and Samrong Khnong village in Battambang Province are well known for it, and during harvest season Cambodian Buddhists in the Angkor region hold a nocturnal rite called plang kralan in which villagers lie side by side while the bamboo tubes grill, forming a human bridge for monks to walk over in hope of an abundant harvest. (Wikipedia: Sticky rice in bamboo) In Kchas commune of Soth Nikum district in Siem Reap, kralan has been made for generations, is produced year-round and in greater volume during Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben, and some buyers offer it to monks, with certain monks preferring it to other offerings. (Khmer Times)
Preparations and recipes
- Ask a Cambodian
- Soaked sticky rice and soybeans packed into a village bamboo tube, sealed and roasted beside a line of coals.(partial instructions)
Regional and community variations
Kralan is made in several provinces, and Siem Reap makers describe their version as having a unique taste. (Khmer Times) It is easier to find in the provinces than in Phnom Penh, where provincial sellers charge more, and the kralan of Kratie province is singled out as the most delicious; the bamboo is best sourced from villages for its long tubes and white inner flesh, and the open end is sealed with coconut husk or banana leaves. (Ask a Cambodian)