Ang Thong's Hidden Gem: Uncle Chalerm's Crispy Banana Chips Are Flying Off the Shelves
Uncle Chalerm Rassamee, a village headman in Ang Thong Province, turned falling banana prices into a booming snack business with homemade crispy banana chips now sold at the local market in three flavors.
In Ang Thong Province, crispy banana chips made by Uncle Chalerm Rassamee, a village headman from Moo 6, Yi Loen Subdistrict, Wisetchai District, have become the talk of the town. After his banana crop flooded the market at low prices, Chalerm pivoted to processing bananas into crispy chips, which his wife now sells alongside fresh fruit at Ang Thong Market. The snacks come in three flavors—salty, sweet, and paprika—priced at 20 baht per bag or three bags for 50 baht, with bulk orders available at 150 baht per kilogram. The crispy, fresh chips combine sweet, salty, and tangy notes that keep customers coming back for more.
Chalerm explained that he and his wife run both a farm and a fruit stand at the Municipal Fresh Market 2 on Soi Thai Panich Bank in the downtown area. When banana prices plummeted, he started making the chips, and customers were immediately hooked by the taste and affordability. The secret to his recipe involves using nearly-ripe bananas that are peeled, soaked in lime water, dried, and then fried with pandan leaves for a fragrant crunch.
For the salty version, he adds salt water to the finished chips. The sweet version gets a double-fry treatment with sugared water, while the paprika flavor is dusted with paprika powder. Interested customers can find the chips at Municipal Fresh Market 2 or call 089-0879431 to place orders.
