Kai Jeow
ไข่เจียว
Kai Jeow — Thai omelette — is one of Thailand's most beloved comfort foods: eggs beaten with fish sauce and sometimes garlic or herbs, fried in very hot oil until crispy and puffed at the edges but soft inside, served over rice with sriracha or prik nam pla.
Cultural Origin
Kai jeow is the Thai omelette, a workaday everyday dish cooked in hot oil until puffed and crisp at the edges. It is eaten over rice with sriracha or sweet chili sauce, sometimes with minced pork (kai jeow moo sap) and is a default cheap meal in shophouses and food courts. Its modern form is tied to the spread of cheap oil and gas burners in 20th-century Thai households.
Allergens & Sensitivities
Key Ingredients
- eggs
- fish sauce
- white pepper
- vegetable oil
- jasmine rice
Where to Try It
Any street food stall, rice shop, or Thai restaurant — it is the definitive fast meal. Look for stalls advertising 'khao kin' (rice dishes).
Tips
- The secret is high heat and generous oil — a good kai jeow is crispy and slightly puffed, not flat and pale.
- Add pork mince or crab meat for a richer version (kai jeow moo sap, kai jeow pu).