Thai Rice Chips, also known as Khao Taen, are a snacking staple in Thailand. Typically made with sticky rice (AKA a soft and sticky short grain variety of rice grown in Southeast Asia), you can find these chips in far-ranging and exotic flavors — Crab Curry, anyone? These rice chips are widely available in Northern Thailand, whether it’s street food stands, supermarkets, or your Ya’s (grandma’s) house
Inspired by Northern Thai street snacks, we decided to create our own Thai Rice Chip in 2017.
Offering flavors from Seaweed to Sriracha, we steam sticky rice, soak it in fresh watermelon juice and coconut milk, and crisp it up for a crunchy and oh-so-satisfying finish. In fact, we dare you to try eating just one :)
Other than delicious, what exactly is a Thai Rice Chip? Get the scoop from Dang’s founder, Vincent Kitirattragarn.
Q: Sticky Rice has been a staple food in Asia for thousands of years. As a Thai American, what is the significance of Sticky Rice for you and your family?
A: My favorite dishes incorporate sticky rice: Khao Neaw Gai Yang (Roasted Chicken with Sticky Rice) is an all-time favorite, and Khao Neaw Mamuang (Mango with Sticky Rice). We often eat it at large family gatherings with plenty of naam jim, or dipping sauce.
Q: What're popular Thai Rice Chip flavors in Asia? What's the most unique flavor you've tried?
A: Tom Yum - a hot and sour Thai soup! I've tried so many different unique flavors, but always go back to the original.
Q: How did these traditional Asian flavors influence Dang’s version of Thai Rice Chips?
A: We wanted our Thai Rice Chips to honor our heritage through flavors like Sriracha (named for the city of Sriracha, Thailand; famous for its sauce and close to where we make our coconut chips). Coconut is an obvious one that ties us back to what we started with: coconut chips. Seaweed is another nod, being a fantastic healthy snack that's super popular in Thailand and all of Asia.
Q: You recently took the entire Dang team to Thailand. Hot dang! How did the Thai locals react after trying your modern take on the traditional Thai Rice Chip?
A: They immediately recognize it as Khao Taen, and typically find it fascinating that we packaged it and sell such a popular Thai street snack all the way in the US.
Q: What's the star ingredient in your Sticky-Rice Chips?
A: Fresh Watermelon juice! It's traditionally used as a binder to keep the rice grains together and gives it a touch of sweetness. True to our mission of sharing our culture for a healthier and more flavorful world, we wanted to avoid using corn syrup or bran rice syrup and allow the toasty rice flavor to shine through.
Q: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring one flavor of Thai Rice Chips (Original, Coconut, Aged Cheddar, Savory Seaweed, or Sriracha) with you, which flavor would you choose?
A: Seaweed. Chrissy Teigen happens to love that flavor and I’m with her.
