Can someone tell me if PHONLAMAI CHAE-IM (ผลไม้แช่อิ่ม) refers to:

1. Crystallized fruit.

2. Dried fruit.

3. Fruit preserved in a liquid.

4. All of the above.

Thank you for your help.

It says preserve,but how that's interpreted I'm not sure it could mean all of the above in a sense I'm not sure.

Maybe this is of help to you.

Dear stoneyboy,

Thank you for that.

As you say, it says preserved, but I need to know how it is preserved. Thanks anyway.

แช่อิ่ม would mean preserved in a liquid.

You should have looked up this word and you would have seen the meaning.

Also, if you google image search ผลไม้แช่อิ่ม, you would also see pics of it.

FYI the others would be the following:

1. Crystallized fruit = ผลไม้เคลือบ

2. Dried fruit = ผลไม้แห้ง

แช่อิ่ม specifically means preserved in a fully saturated sugar solution - in other words candied or crystallised.

From the RID "ที่แช่นํ้าตาลเชื่อมจนอิ่มตัว เช่น ผลไม้แช่อิ่ม เปลือกส้มโอแช่อิ่ม".

แช่อิ่ม is literally translated "dip - full".

Yes, แช่อิ่ม would mean preserved in sugar solution.

While ดอง would mean to pickle it in vinegar.

So, in Thai "Fruit preserved in a liquid" can mean either in sugar solution or in vinegar, both is "liquid".

If you google ผลไม้แช่อิ่ม you will see lots of images of mostly fruits in sugar solution.

For example mango

http://pantip.com/topic/32003652

Dear Mole and AyG,

Thank you both for that information.

Mole, I did look up the word before I posted. I only ask for members' help after I have researched as much as I can and still not arrived at a clear meaning. When I looked up PHONLAMAI CHAE-IM, it came up as 'compote' and CHAE-IM came up as 'crystallized'. Also, I did look at some images and many of them were for dried fruits, possibly crystallized. Stoneyboy's dictionary also only indicated 'preserved'.

I guess that, as AyG says, PHONLAMAI CHAE-IM means 'preserved in a fully saturated sugar solution', referring to the initial stage. After that, the fruit can be either left in the solution, or dried - resulting in candied or crystallized fruit.

One particular site showing the dried or crystallized/dried version (which I saw before posting) is:

R & C Fruits:

http://rncfruits.com/

Another site, showing the fruit remaining in the liquid solution is:

Google chaeim site:

https://sites.google.com/site/phlmichaexim/

Thank you both again for your help.