Rice spirit infused with roots, bark and herbs, sold by the shot from street carts. Each cart keeps its own jars, and the vendor’s plant mixture is the whole product.
The base is a distilled spirit that cannot legally be made without a licence, and the roots and barks are wild-gathered medicinal plants identified and dosed by a vendor’s own practice.
What goes into it
- lao khao — clear rice spirit
- medicinal roots, barks and herbs
- sometimes honey or fruit
How it is made
Jars of clear rice spirit are packed with gathered roots and barks and left to steep for weeks, turning dark and bitter. The vendor tops the jars up as they sell down, so a cart’s jars are effectively continuous, and the plant list is the vendor’s own knowledge.
How long it takes: weeks of steeping, topped up continuously
How it is eaten
By the shot from a street cart, with a pickled plum or a slice of fruit as a chaser.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ya Dong?
Ya Dong is a wine & spirit from Thailand: rice spirit infused with roots, bark and herbs, sold by the shot at street carts.
How is Ya Dong made?
Jars of clear rice spirit are packed with gathered roots and barks and left to steep for weeks, turning dark and bitter. The vendor tops the jars up as they sell down, so a cart’s jars are effectively continuous, and the plant list is the vendor’s own knowledge. It takes weeks of steeping, topped up continuously.
Can I make Ya Dong at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. The base is a distilled spirit that cannot legally be made without a licence, and the roots and barks are wild-gathered medicinal plants identified and dosed by a vendor’s own practice.
What goes into Ya Dong?
Lao khao — clear rice spirit, medicinal roots, barks and herbs, sometimes honey or fruit.
How is Ya Dong eaten?
By the shot from a street cart, with a pickled plum or a slice of fruit as a chaser.
