Peanut and Rice Porridge

On my first morning in Kengtung, the cultural center of the Tai Koen people in the eastern part of Shan State, I stared at a pale pink-mauve mass, like tinted soft polenta, that steamed in the cool morning air, and couldn’t imagine what it was. The vendor at the small morning market saw my puzzlement, so she scooped out a ladleful, poured it into a bowl, and handed it to me with a spoon and a “taste it, go ahead” gesture. Smooth on the tongue, rich-tasting . . . it took a m