Local Wisdom about Mon Cuisine in the Mae Klong River Basin, Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

This research aims to study the local wisdom on local Mon along the Mae Klong River basin, Ratchaburi province. The sampling in this research was selected by purposive sampling and snow ball technique. 15 people who live in the area studied area consisted of community leaders and Mon cuisine experts. Data were collected by in-depth interview, observation and cooking workshop participation. After that, content data were analyzed for categorization and conclusions, and qualitative data were analyzed in terms of the research objective and descriptive presentation. The research results showed that local knowledge concerning Mon cuisine along the Mae Klong River basin is passed down through family members and relatives, as well as the way of cooking such everyday dishes as sour soup and mixed vegetales, basil leaf curry with grilled fish. Moreover, there are seasonal dishes such as elephant apple or “Matad” curry, great elephant apple or “ Look san” curry, and others. The traditional and ceremonial cuisine consists of “kao chae” or cooked rice soaked in ice water and eaten with the usual complementary items,, food offered to spirits, cassia leaf curry, “ka-a-krae,” a Mon traditional curry, among others. Desserts in tradition festivals include fried sweets and “ka-ra-mae” or Mon toffee-like caramel. The typical Mon cuisine in Ratchaburi Province is young moringa leaves with green bean and fish sauce curry, typically made by putting a stone pestle in a large pot and slicing a papaya in the boiled green bean pot. I recorded the data collected and passed on local cuisine knowledge through info-graphics and electronic books. The research result could be applied to preserving Mon ethnic cuisine along the Mae Klong River basin, Ratchaburi Province, to remain indefinitely into the future.