Colorful mix of herbs, vegetables, seafood, and rice. Khao yam is one of those dishes that is nothing short of a Thai food explosion of tastes in your mouth. Khao yam is said to have been created when the ruler of a southern Thai region asked a doctor to create a dish that would combine all of the healthy ingredients available at the time onto one plate. The doctor came up with this rice salad, making sure to include Indian mulberry, a tree that grew close to the houses of well-respected people in the community.More likely khao yams ties originate from the Malay culinary tradition, since Thailands three southernmost provinces Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala once formed part of the Sultanate of Pattani, which included what is now Kelantan in Northeastern Malaysia.One of the reasons this rice salad can be challenging to replicate is because it boasts a mind-boggling array of ingredients, many found solely in the region. However, Thai cooks say that khao yam like many other dishes from Thailand is a dish that can be made with any ingredients that are on hand, provided that they are fresh and fit into the dishs tart, salty, and herbal profile.
