Lao Khao
Lao Khao ( Thai : เหล้า ขาว - [ lâo kʰǎːo ], white schnapps , alternative spelling: Lao Kao ) is a spirit from Thailand that is distilled from glutinous rice .
Lao Khao is legally produced by the Thai government in two varieties with about 35% and about 40% alcohol content and sold nationwide. The two types differ in the color of the label. Sura Khao ( สุรา ขาว ), the official name, is offered very cheaply. It is much cheaper than any other domestic spirit in Thailand or beer , and is a very popular drink among the low-income groups in Thailand.
However, Lao Khao is often branded black in the countryside . Not only sticky rice is used as a basic ingredient, but also coconut water , taro tubers, sugar cane or the juice of the sugar palm . An alcohol content of up to 95% can be achieved.
Sometimes up to eleven different herbs are added in the manufacturing process. After a maturation period of two to four weeks, the finished drink, then ya dong ( ยา ดอง , literally called “herbs fermented in alcohol”) can be consumed. Allegedly, Ya Dong is said to be "used medically" for tiredness or weakness. Nowadays, the eleven herbs are available as ready-mixes in drugstores across the country.
history
What is certain is that Lao Khao production was a thriving industry during the Ayutthaya period some 400 years ago under the rule of King Narai the Great. This is evidenced by a memorandum of the French ambassador at the court of Ayutthaya at the time, who reported that the king had caused a tax increase for Lao Khao from one to two Salüng . In the Rattanakosin period, Lao Khao continued to gain popularity, so that King Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok ( Rama I ) built Thailand's first distillery in 1786. The ubiquitous private distilleries were declared illegal.
Todays situation
Although a number of companies have now obtained state licenses to produce Lao Khao, illicit distillery in the countryside is largely the norm. The best Lao Khao is made in the northern provinces: Kamphaeng Phet , Sukhothai to Chiang Rai . The best raw materials can also be found here: sticky rice (Khao Niau), yeast and spices, which guarantee an excellent taste and a high alcohol content.
Individual evidence
- ^ Joe Cummings: World Food: Thailand . Lonely Planet Publications, Hawthorn 2000, ISBN 1-86450-026-3 , partly also on Google Books
- ↑ การ เตรียม ยา ต้ม ยา ชง ยา ดอง และ ยา ลูกกลอน ( Thai ) Archived from the original on July 4th, 2003. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
- ↑ ยา ดอง เหล้า หนึ่ง ใน การ รักษา โรค ด้วย พืช สมุนไพร ( Thai ) Retrieved on February 7, 2008. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
