[1] Num krieb is frequently made from leftover rice,[2] often by poor farmers who sell it to earn extra income.

[3] Similar to other round rice crackers across Asia, num krieb has the same recipe as the smaller Japanese senbei but is the size of the Indian flatbread bhatura.

It is difficult to presume of num krieb's antiquity, though local traditions consider it to be from time immemorial.

The rice is rinsed and soaked in water, then drained and steamed.

The balls are flattened with a piece of wood or a short round tube and dried in the sun for about 1 to 2 hours before being stored in a basket or pan for grilling.