Published caption : A gloriously sweet aroma will fill your nostrils if you wander close to the home of Ja Ree, a woman living in the village of Phru Nai who makes a popular sweetmeat the locals call babin . According to Ja Ree (ja means ‘‘older sister’’ in the southern dialect), she is the third generation of her clan to run this small family business which has been in operation for many decades. She said her babin is much in demand because she always uses only the freshest of ingredients. Babin is made from sticky-rice flour, sugar and grated coconut meat. It is cooked by spooning this viscous mixture into small circular moulds on a hot pan. When the undersides turn an appetising brown, the sweetmeats are turned over to brown the tops. Ja Ree handed me a few freshly cooked ones to sample. The smell was very pleasant, with coconut dominating as you’d expect, and the level of sweetness was just right. The sweetmeat was also deliciously chewy. The secret, according to Ja Ree, is to add lots of coconut flesh.