ไทย
English
Chiang Rai Egg Yolk Knocking
Ban Huay Khee Lek Homestay, Akha (Iko) Homestay, Stay with the Hill Tribe at Egg Yolk Knocking http://www.hotsia.com > Chiang Rai > Egg Yolk Knocking The day I have been waiting for has finally arrived. After spending four nights at the Akha village, Ban Huay Khee Lek, the morning of Egg Yolk Knocking begins. Each household wakes up early to perform the Akha ceremony. Once the ceremony is completed, it's time for the children to have fun with the egg yolk knocking game. The Akha children's day has officially started. Enjoy a cup of coffee before heading out to the egg yolk battle.
The egg yolks you see in the picture are chicken eggs boiled with red shallots. When cooked, the yolks turn red as shown. Each household boils varying amounts of egg yolks depending on how many children will be sharing. Although I am not a child, the host kindly gave me five egg yolks to join in. These chicken eggs are harder and more durable than regular farm eggs, making them less likely to crack during knocking. The children, including myself, especially like these local chicken eggs. The game is played by knocking the pointed ends of the eggs together. The egg that cracks loses.
The knocking continues on each side until one egg cracks; if both sides crack, both lose. If neither cracks, the player can proudly walk around the village claiming their egg is stronger than others (watch the egg knocking video). The fun part of egg yolk knocking is that the loser must eat the cracked egg. Children cannot accept losing if they have few or no eggs left. So in reality, only a few eggs are knocked at a time. They carry the eggs around all day and play sparingly to last the whole day. It's a frugal way to play.
I find this tradition unique and worth preserving to remain with the Akha people for many generations. I have documented photos and stories so anyone interested can contact Ban Huay Khee Lek Akha village to visit. The children enjoy having visitors watch their game, showing interest, and they also get protein from eating the eggs. I conclude my solo homestay trip with the Akha egg yolk knocking tradition. I hope friends following Hotsia.com will enjoy it. I am always open to feedback.
Feel free to email me at hotsia007 at hotmail.com. I welcome suggestions for improvement. For the next trip, see you in Laos and Vietnam, routes that nowadays anyone can travel independently without tours, as easy as Chiang Mai. Quoting backpacker Marapin, 'Nowadays, people from Isan find the Vietnamese sea closer than Rayong.' To book a stay at Ban Huay Khee Lek Homestay, contact P'Yanyong through K. Den at 085-449-5940. Breakfast before the egg yolk knocking.
Breakfast before descending the mountain. Thank you for the delicious food. I, along with the Akha uncle and aunt who own the house where I stayed, am about to weave egg yolks for me. This is the souvenir I received—woven egg yolks to take back from the mountain. Descending into the village, some houses boil many eggs and hang them like this. The Akha people are waiting to watch the egg yolk knocking. This is P'Yanyong's son, a spirited young Akha boy. The children carry eggs in bags like this. I got one from the aunt I stayed with on the first night, weaving a basket to hold the egg yolks. The uncle with a friendly gaze—I really like his eyes.
About to descend the mountain now. Den, who drove me down, thank you, Den. Trip by Mr.Hotsia solo exploring hill tribe homestays. Solo trip exploring Tai Lue Homestay in Sri Don Chai and Akha Homestay at Ban Huay Khee Lek 1, farming with Akha girls, cooking at the Akha house, and the day of the egg yolk knocking ceremony.
