Khao chae is a famous summer dish in Thailand.

I discovered it a few years ago during a stay at the small Baan Kachitpan hotel in Bangkok, and I’ve loved it ever since.

This dish is served mainly during the hot months from March to June. Many traditional restaurants offer it as a seasonal specialty.

It’s especially popular during the Thai New Year festival

Songkran in April. When half of Bangkok celebrates with water.

But on Koh Kret, the river island about 30 kilometers north of Bangkok, you can enjoy Khao Chae all year round.

It originated with the Mon people, who originally lived in the border region with Myanmar.

It is said that a commander of the MO brought the dish to Thailand when he fled with his followers after losing a battle and was allowed by the king of the time to settle on Koh Kret.

The Mon lived there in relative isolation for a long time and preserved their own traditions: pottery, language, and this special food.

Khao Chae only became popular in Thai society thanks to King Mongkut, more than 170 years ago.

He loved this refreshing meal on hot days, and since the rice had to be chilled for it, he had large blocks of ice shipped from Singapore to Bangkok.

That was essentially the beginning of the ice trade era in Siam.

Since then, Khao Chae has been considered a classic summer dish of the royal cuisine. What does it include?

First, cook the rice as usual, then rinse it under running water until all the starch is washed away.

It is then placed in ice-cold water infused with jasmine flowers. This creates the delicate fragrance and almost floral flavor that makes the dish so distinctive.

It’s served with several small side dishes: fried shrimp or crab balls, shredded, lightly caramelized strands of beef or pork, carved vegetables, mango, cucumber, and spring onion.

On Kho Kret, they also often serve special Mon delicacies, such as fried shrimp paste balls, which are rarely found anywhere else.

And one final tip, in case you’d like to try the khao niao.

The rice isn't mixed. You take a little of the cold, fragrant rice and add a side dish.

It’s a quiet, almost ritualistic meal, one that both cools you down and brings people together on hot days.

A dish with a story.

And, as is often the case in Thailand, they come with a reminder of their origins, of hospitality, and of the art of staying calm even in summer.

He loved this refreshing meal on hot days, and since the rice had to be chilled for it, he had large blocks of ice shipped from Singapore to Bangkok.

That was essentially the beginning of the ice trade era in Siam.

Since then, Khao Chae has been considered a classic summer dish of the royal cuisine. What does it include?

First, cook the rice as usual, then rinse it under running water until all the starch is washed away.

It is then placed in ice-cold water infused with jasmine flowers. This creates the delicate fragrance and almost floral flavor that makes the dish so distinctive.

It’s served with several small side dishes: fried shrimp or crab balls, shredded, lightly caramelized strands of beef or pork, carved vegetables, mango, cucumber, and spring onion.

On Kho Kret, they also often serve special Mon delicacies, such as fried shrimp paste balls, which are rarely found anywhere else.

And one final tip, in case you’d like to try the khao niao.

The rice isn't mixed. You take a little of the cold, fragrant rice and add a side dish.

It’s a quiet, almost ritualistic meal, one that both cools you down and brings people together on hot days.

A dish with a story.

And, as is often the case in Thailand, they come with a reminder of their origins, of hospitality, and of the art of staying calm even in summer.