Khanom met khanun[3] (alternative spelled: med khanoon,[4]med khanun,[5]met khanoon;[4]Thai: ขนมเม็ดขนุน) is traditional Thai dessert[1] dating back to the Ayutthaya period.[6] It is made from a mixture of sweet cooked bean and coconut paste, which is dipped in blended egg yolk and then dipped in hot syrup. The dessert has a yellow-golden appearance and is a bit soft and sticky when chewed. It is one of the nine auspicious Thai desserts[7] served in Thai wedding traditions (khan mak parade), religious observances and as a snack.
The technique of making khanom met khanun was influenced by Portuguese confectioners living in the European enclave in Siam after their arrival in 1516 AD[8] in the reign of King Ramathibodi II of Ayutthaya. The Siamese people eventually adapted it into a Siamese dessert, especially after the arrival of Maria Guyomar de Pinha in Siam. She popularized the use of egg and sugar as major ingredients in desserts in the reign of King Narai The Great.[9]
The term met khanun is a Thai word.[10] The word met (เม็ด) means 'stone, seed' and the word khanun (ขนุน) means 'jackfruit.'[11] The term met khanun in Thai cuisines refers to a sweet, golden Thai dessert with an elliptical shape and a round lump, resembling a jackfruit seed.[4] It is also associated with the belief of being successful in life and work when served in Thai traditions.
Alternative names for met khanun in English include "mock jackfruit seeds," "golden bean paste," "golden jackfruit seeds," "Thai jackfruit seed dessert," "mung bean yolks" and "Thai mung bean marzipan."
^ abShurtleff, William R. (1996). Soy Fiber and Dietary Fiber: Bibliography and Sourcebook, A.D. 1445 to 1995: Detailed Information on 633 Published Documents (extensively Annotated Bibliography), 203 Commercial Soy Fiber Products, 111 Original Interviews (many Full Text) and Overviews, 95 Unpublished Archival Documents from Cornell University. Washington, D.C.: Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA). p. 194.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Agriculture. "Chemical analysis (Med Khanoon)", International Agricultural Publications: INTSOY Series, 7(1974):99.
Shurtleff, William R. and Aoyagi, A. (2011). History of Fermented Black Soybeans (165 B.C. To 2011): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Lofayette, California: Soyinfo Center. p. 285. ISBN978-192-8-91441-9
^Umavijani, M. (2000). Facets of Thai Cultural Life. Bangkok: Kurusapa. p. 186. ISBN978-974-0-08315-3
^ abcSuwannapanich N. (2001). Dictionary of Sweets English-Thai. พจนานุกรมขนมนมเนยและไอศกรีม อังกฤษ-ไทย (in Thai). Bangkok: Foundation for Children. p. 114. ISBN978-9-747-83416-1
^Goldstein, D. and Mintz, S. (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 735. ISBN978-019-9-31339-6
Phlainoi, S. and Office of the National Culture Commission Thailand. (1982). Sorties Into Thai Cultural History. Bangkok: Ministry of Education. p. 75.
International Potato Center User's Perspective with Agricultural Research and Development. (1991). Sweet Potato Cultures of Asia and South Pacific. Proceedings of the 2nd Annual UPWARD International Conference : April 2-5, 1991, SEARCA Auditorium, UPLB Campus, College, Laguna, Philippines. Los Banos, California: The International Potato Center (CIP). p. 243. ISBN978-971-6-14001-9
^The Fine Arts Department of Thailand. Silapakorn, 44(1)(2001):66.『ขนมที่กำเนิดในสมัยอยุธยา เช่น ทองหยิบ ทองหยอด ฝอยทอง เม็ดขนุน ...』[Desserts that originated in the Ayutthaya period such as thong yip, thong yot, foi thong, met khanun, ...]
^Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Bangkok City Library. Focus Bangkok [ส่องกรุง (in Thai)], 3(1)(2005):122
^Krondl, M. (2011). "Portuguese in Asia", Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert. Chinago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press, Inc. p. 55. ISBN978-156-9-76954-6
BangJun, O.『ข้างสำรับติมอร์-เลสเต: สากลกับท้องถิ่นและการย้อนกลับทางวัฒนธรรม』(Beside the Timor-Leste food table: Global vs. local and cultural reversal), Silapawattanatham, 43(11)(September 2022):60.
^Svasti, T. (M.R.). (1999). Thanadsri chi thang aroi Vol. II [ถนัดศรีชี้ทางอร่อย ชุด 2 (in Thai)]. Bangkok: Matichon. p. 113. ISBN978-974-3-22272-6
^Manufacture Française des Pneumatiques Michelin. (2019, 14 February). 9 Auspicious Thai Desserts. MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved on 15 May 2024.
^เม็ดขนุน. Thai2English. Retrieved on 15 May 2024.
