The area around Phra Pathom Chedi is ringed with market stalls and small restaurants selling the two foods that define Nakhon Pathom's culinary reputation: pomelos and khao lam. The pomelo stalls operate year-round but are particularly well-stocked from October through February when the local harvest peaks — look for the large yellow-green fruit labelled Nakhon Pathom variety.
Khao lam, the local sticky rice dish cooked in bamboo, is sold at stalls around the chedi entrance and at the morning market near the town centre. The best versions use high-quality glutinous rice with black beans or taro, cooked slowly until the bamboo scorches slightly, giving a mild smoky note. The town market east of the chedi square is active in the early morning and has a wide range of fresh produce and cooked foods at prices well below Bangkok levels. Nakhon Pathom is an easy day trip from Bangkok, and arriving hungry is the right approach.