Khun Kae, 73, takes her deep-fried coconut milk pastry rolled into sugar on a basket and sits by the shore while whistling notes to attract tourists at Koh Lipe Island in Satun province.

Ko Kae inherited a centuries-old recipe for roasted pork from his ancestors, and Ko Tin learned the secret of ancient spice mixtures. Together, they have been working to make their roasted pork an ...