Authentic Thai Recipe Ingredient: Bai yanang
Bai yanang
ใบย่านาง (Bai yanang; By ya na ng)
Tiliacora triandra is a species of flowering plant native to mainland Southeast Asia and used particularly in the cuisines of northeast Thailand and Laos. In the Isan language, it is called bai yanang or bai ya nang. In Laos, it is also called bai yanang. It is a climbing plant with deep green leaves and yellowish flowers, tolerating only very mild frost.
In the Isan culture of northeast Thailand, the leaves are used in the preparation of kaeng no mai som, sometimes called keng Lao, a sour-tasting soup that also includes bamboo shoots, chilis, salt, citric acid, and sometimes oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, cha-om, or other ingredients. Generally the leaves are not used whole, but rather a juice (or extract) made from the leaves is used to make the broth, primarily as a thickening agent rather than for its flavor. This juice may be prepared from scratch, from fresh leaves, or purchased in canned form.
In Laos and Thailand, the leaves are extracted with water using both hands rubbing on leaves back and forth until all the green part in the leaves are out in the water, this is called nam yanang, meaning "yanang water". The yanang water is used to make bamboo soup.
In the Isan culture of northeast Thailand, the leaves are used in the preparation of kaeng no mai som, sometimes called keng Lao, a sour-tasting soup that also includes bamboo shoots, chilis, salt, citric acid, and sometimes oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, cha-om, or other ingredients. Generally the leaves are not used whole, but rather a juice (or extract) made from the leaves is used to make the broth, primarily as a thickening agent rather than for its flavor. This juice may be prepared from scratch, from fresh leaves, or purchased in canned form.
In Laos and Thailand, the leaves are extracted with water using both hands rubbing on leaves back and forth until all the green part in the leaves are out in the water, this is called nam yanang, meaning "yanang water". The yanang water is used to make bamboo soup.