Nutritional Values of Foods from Thai Literature Entitled “Karb-Hae-Chom-Kreaung-Kaow-Wan”

Abstract

Karb-Hae-Chom-Kreaung-Kaow-Wan in Thai literature was exquisitely written by Phar Buddha Loetha Nabhalai, The second Monarch of the Chakri Dynasty. The literature describes savoury foods, desserts, and fruits, which the poem gives literary value during the early Rattanakosin society. However, nowadays, some of the dishes mentioned in the poem may not be known or have been lost. The research objective was to study the nutritional values of Thai dishes mentioned in this literature. This study is a secondary data analysis by searching for food recipes from culinary reference sources. Nutritional values of raw food ingredients were calculated using the ThaiNutriSurvey programme developed by the collaboration of the Bureau of Nutrition, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health and Department of Health and Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, and is publicly available. Calories and nutrient contents of the identified recipes were used as a basis for further modification of each recipe to form a meal that meets the Thai healthy menu criteria. The study identified 6 main dishes and 16 savoury foods/desserts, 14 fresh fruits, and 2 indigenous vegetables. In these recipes, protein and fat are from meat, carbohydrate from rice, flour, and sugar, and fat from coconut milk. Two Thai meals were formed, namely, (1) Thai rice noodles with fish curry sauce and sweet vermicelli and Thai melon in coconut milk, (2) spiced rice with chicken Massaman curry and freshly squeezed mango juice. Then, using the ThaiNutriSurvey programme to calculate the nutritive values and recipes were modified to meet with criteria for healthy menus energy distribution of each of the modified healthy menus was in the acceptable range. For example, the spiced rice and chicken Massama curry, with mango juice have a caloric distribution of carbohydrate: protein: fat at 63: 16: 21. These Thai literary recipes also contain several ingredients and spices, hence, they are likely to provide vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The Thai recipes in Karb-Hae-Chom-Kreaung-Kaow-Wan which are the wisdom of Thai cuisine can be modified to meet the criteria and promoted as healthy menus.