Massaman, a curry made by my beloved,
is fragrant of cumin and strong spices.
Any man who has swallowed—
the curry is bound to long for her.
—Translation of the opening kap stanza, from Heather Arndt Anderson[1]
The Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan (Thai: กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาวหวาน, pronounced [kàːp hèː t͡ɕʰōm kʰrɯ̂aŋ kʰāːw wǎːn]; lit. 'procession poem admiring savoury and sweet dishes') is a Thai poem in the form of kap he ruea (royal barge procession song), written by King Rama II in 1800, when he was Prince Itsarasunthon. It consists of four segments, the first three of which contain praises of several savoury dishes, fruits, and desserts, while the fourth mentions annual festivities. The style of the first three sections is that of the nirat, a travel lament in which the poet makes allusions to his love and pain of parting.[2] The poem is probably Rama II's expression of love for Princess Bunrot, his lover at the time, alluded to through the food items.[3] It is also valuable as a contemporary source on historical Thai cuisine.[4]
References
edit- ^ Anderson, Heather Arndt (2016). Chillies: A Global History. Reaktion Books. ISBN 9781780236827.
- ^ สุจิตรา จงสถิตย์วัฒนา. "กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาวหวาน". Thai Literature Directory: ฐานข้อมูลนามานุกรมวรรณคดีไทย (in Thai). Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ Ruengruglikit, Cholada (2010). "Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan, Kap He Nirat Raem Rot Rang". The Journal: Journal of the Faculty of Arts, Mahidol University. 6 (2): 7–26. ISSN 1686-7831.
- ^ Ruengruglikit, Cholada. "Court Cuisines, Longing and Lamentation in Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan, and Food Heritage". www.thaistudies.chula.ac.th. Chulalongkorn University. Retrieved 28 October 2019.