Introduction: Thai Desserts and Sweet Treats
Thai cuisine is known all over the world for its rich and complex flavors that combine sweet, salty, sour, and spicy tastes. Thai cuisine also has a wide variety of desserts and sweet snacks that are unique and delicious. These desserts use traditional Thai ingredients such as coconut milk, rice flour, and palm sugar, and come in various textures and flavors. Whether you have a sweet tooth or just want to try something new, you’ll definitely find something that suits your taste among Thai desserts and sweet treats.
Mango Sticky Rice: A Popular Thai Delight
Mango sticky rice, or khao niao mamuang in Thai, is arguably the most famous Thai dessert. It’s a simple yet delicious dish made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and served with fresh ripe mango slices. The rice is cooked until it’s soft and sticky, and then mixed with coconut milk and palm sugar for added sweetness. The mango is sliced and placed on top of the rice, and then drizzled with a sweet coconut cream sauce. The combination of the sweet and tangy mango with the creamy and slightly salty rice is truly heavenly.
Kanom Tuay: A Sweet and Creamy Thai Dessert
Kanom tuay is a traditional Thai dessert that consists of small cups made from rice flour and tapioca starch, filled with a sweet and creamy coconut milk custard. The cups are steamed until they’re fluffy and soft, and then topped with a sprinkling of fried shallots and chopped scallions for a savory contrast. The custard filling is made from coconut milk, sugar, eggs, and pandan leaves, which give it a fragrant and floral aroma. Kanom tuay is often served as a snack or dessert, and can be found at street food stalls or in fancy restaurants.
Thong Yip: The Golden Egg-Yolk Sweet
Thong yip is a golden yellow Thai dessert that’s made from egg yolks and sugar syrup. The egg yolks are cooked in a sugar syrup until they absorb the sweetness and become a chewy and slightly dry texture. The egg yolks are then shaped into a flower-like shape and wrapped in a small piece of banana leaf to keep their shape. Thong yip is often served at special occasions like weddings and anniversaries, and is said to bring good luck and prosperity.
Thong Yot: The Tiny Golden Drop of Sweetness
Thong yot is another egg yolk-based Thai dessert that’s similar to thong yip, but smaller in size and round in shape. Thong yot means “golden drop” in Thai, and indeed, these tiny sweets resemble golden pearls. The egg yolks are cooked in a sugar syrup until they form small droplets, which are then scooped up with a slotted spoon and placed in a bowl of cold water to cool down. Thong yot is often served with other sweet treats like kanom krok or coconut jelly, and is a favorite among Thai dessert lovers.
Khanom Chan: A Delicious Thai Layered Dessert
Khanom chan is a multi-layered Thai dessert that’s made from rice flour, coconut milk, and pandan leaves. The dessert consists of several thin layers of different colors, ranging from green to pink to yellow, each with a slightly different flavor. The layers are made by cooking the rice flour and coconut milk mixture in a steamer, and then adding the pandan extract or food coloring to create the various colors. Khanom chan is often eaten as a sweet snack or dessert, and is a popular item at Thai food markets or festivals.
