Huad (Sticky-Rice Steamer Basket) — Strips of 3-Year-Old Village Bamboo, Lengths 25/30/35 in, Slats 0.5/0.6/0.8 cm, a 4×8-Strip Twill-3 Base, Lift 3 Turn 3, a Phai Kao Rim; Steams Sticky Rice over a Pot

"A huad woven from bamboo strips has gaps between the strips that let steam pass in and out, so hot steam circulates and cooks the contents evenly without making them soggy." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author พิชชา ทองขลิบ (Phitcha Thongkhlip), CC BY 4.0)

Use village bamboo about 3 years old: just mature, it does not shrink and has long internodes. Saw it into internode lengths, discarding the nodes: 35 inches (large), 30 inches (medium) or 25 inches (small). Split it with a machete into slats 0.8 / 0.6 / 0.5 cm wide to match. Shave off the sharp middle edge and taper both ends (chak suai tok), then split the inner wood from the skin (chak tok): one slat gives about 8-10 strips. Dry them in the sun for 2-3 days and bundle them by length.

Weave the base first: lay 4 strips one way and 8 the other and weave a three-strip twill from the centre, 13 crossings to each side, counted in "bi" (lift 3 strips, cover 3). When the base is big enough, fold two corners, then phai huad: change from the base pattern to the body pattern, which sets the size of the huad, lifting 3 and turning 3, though this is not fixed and depends on the weaver's skill.

Weave the body pattern, mostly with 10 strips. Sprinkle water now and then so the strips stay soft and easy to weave. At full height, add the phai kao at the top rim: about 6 small round strips woven lift 3, turn 3 round the body. Finally roll the huad: cut off over-long strips and roll in the remaining ends, to prevent splinters and sharp ends.

Photos of a real huad on a clay pot, from the Ja Thawi Folk Museum, Phitsanulok (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author พิชชา ทองขลิบ (Phitcha Thongkhlip), CC BY 4.0)

Rinse the sticky rice clean, put it in the huad and let it drain. Set the huad on the mouth of a pot of water, with the water not touching the bottom of the huad. Cover the huad with banana leaf or muslin and heat until the water boils; the steam passes through the weave until the rice is cooked.

Today there are new huad shapes made to fit electric rice cookers. A bamboo huad gives sticky rice a bamboo scent and keeps it from going soggy. Take care with the machete and saw when cutting and splitting bamboo. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Traditional Objects of Everyday Use database, "หวดนึ่งข้าว", author พิชชา ทองขลิบ (Phitcha Thongkhlip), Ja Thawi Folk Museum, Phitsanulok (CC BY 4.0 licence). **Limits** The source gives no height or diameter for the finished huad.