สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

145 มาลิ ทั ต พรหมทั ตตเวที วารสารราชบัณฑิตยสถาน ปีที่ ๓๗ ฉบับที่ ๒ เม.ย.-มิ.ย. ๒๕๕๕ Abstract Food and Feasts in Phra Aphai Mani Associate Professor Malithat Promathatavedi Associate Fellow of the Academy of Arts, The Royal Institute, Thailand Certain aspects can identify the characteristics of a country’s literary work. For example, Chinese literature often depicts feasting scenes, whereas Thai literature concentrates more on clothing and the process of dressing and grooming oneself. Certainly there are passages in Phra Aphai Mani which explain in details how the characters are dressed, but there are also passages that give vivid descriptions of food, which can be divided into 11 categories as follows: 1) staple food such as rice and other types of grains and provisions to be taken on long journeys; 2) snacks; 3) ascetics’ diet; 4) royal food; 5) dishes to be consumed with alcoholic drinks; 6) desserts and confectionery; 7) diet for sick people; 8) banquets; 9) food as offerings to spirits; 10) food of savage peoples; and 11) food of non-human beings. Sunthon Phu, the author of Phra Aphai Mani , must have been well-acquainted with the above-mentioned food since he has given such vivid descriptions of the different kinds of food that the readers could almost smell and taste them. Keywords: Phra Aphai Mani, Sunthon Phu, food, desserts