Banana Coconut Sticky Rice (Num Ansom Chek)
Also: Num Ansom Chek, Banana sticky rice cake, Khao tom, Coconut sticky rice with banana
A Cambodian and Lao dessert of glutinous rice enriched with coconut cream, wrapped around ripe banana, and steamed inside a banana leaf.
Identity criteria
- 1Built on glutinous (sticky) rice, not ordinary rice
- 2Rice enriched and sweetened with coconut cream
- 3Centered on a length of ripe banana wrapped inside the rice
- 4Bundled in a banana leaf and steamed/boiled in the parcel
- 5Sweet, soft, and lightly salted from the coconut
Components
Glutinous (sticky) riceessentialSoaked grains that bind into a chewy mass
Ripe bananaessentialThe sweet fruit core wrapped by the rice
Coconut cream / milkessentialEnriches and sweetens the rice
Banana leaf wrapperessentialHolds the parcel and perfumes the rice during steaming
Sugar and saltessentialBalances the coconut and rice
Technique
- Soaking glutinous rice
- Hydrates the grains so they cook into a tender, sticky cake
- Banana-leaf wrapping
- Shapes the parcel and infuses a grassy aroma during cooking
- Steaming/boiling the parcel
- Cooks the rice through gently while keeping the banana intact
Form & serving
- Served
- Unwrapped from the banana leaf and sliced
- Temperature
- Warm or room temperature
- Portion
- Individual dessert parcel
- Pairs with
- extra coconut cream · toasted sesame · coffee or tea
Character
Flavour
Texture
Soft, chewy, sticky rice around a tender banana core
Eaten
A festive and everyday Southeast Asian dessert, unwrapped from its leaf and eaten warm with extra coconut cream.
When
all-year
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Num Ansom Chek · Cambodia
Banana-filled steamed sticky rice, made especially for Pchum Ben and festivals
- Khao Tom · Laos
Similar banana-and-coconut sticky rice parcels
- Mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang) · Thailand
A related but distinct version with fresh ripe mango instead of wrapped banana
Related dishes
- sibling Mango sticky rice
Thai version using fresh mango rather than wrapped banana
- sibling Bánh tét
Vietnamese banana-leaf sticky-rice cylinder of the same family
Substitutions
Banana leaf → Parchment or foiladmissible
Holds the parcel but loses the grassy aroma; acceptable as a convenience swap
Glutinous rice → Ordinary long-grain riceinadmissible
Without sticky rice the parcel won't bind into the characteristic chewy cake — it falls apart
Common mistakes
- Using non-glutinous rice so the parcel won't hold together
- Under-soaking the rice, leaving it hard at the center
- Skimping on coconut cream so it tastes plain
- Conflating it strictly with Thai mango sticky rice when the seed dish is banana-wrapped
Provenance
A festive sweet of mainland Southeast Asia; the banana-leaf coconut-rice parcel is shared across Cambodia, Laos, and neighbors, with Thailand's mango version as a famous cousin.
Shared by: Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam
References
- 1.Cambodian and Lao culinary tradition
Confidence: medium