What do you get when you add authentic, slow cooked coconut sticky rice and decadent coconut cream to some of the world’s most delicious mangoes? The answer: a treat worth writing home about. In fact, if there were only one sweet that would decidedly be the classic Thai dessert, it would have to be khao niew mamuang (khao niew refers to sticky rice and mamuang to mango).
It’s true that this popular dessert can be found in Thai restaurants all over the world, but it always seems to taste better in Thailand. One reason is the quality of mangoes - there’s just nothing like the golden sweet and amazingly cheap mangoes produced within the Kingdom. I personally find the mango version to be a sublime blending of flavors, but if seeking something more adventurous, look for coconut sticky rice with notoriously pungent (or putrid?) slices of fresh durian fruit in place of the mango. Just remember to be considerate of your neighbors at the hotel by refraining from bringing fresh durian indoors!
Where to try?
Quality coconut sticky rice with mango is widely available throughout the city, including from several vendors on Khao San Road. The durian version can be more of a challenge to locate - I’ve been lucky (or unlucky?) enough to find it regularly from a particular fruit vendor in Pak Khlong Talad flower market, in the fresh fruit section along the sidewalk towards the north of the market.
And there you have it: in a foodie’s dream destination like Thailand, it can be tough to refrain from all out gorging on the divine curries, haunting soups, spicy salads, and endless finger foods on every corner. Most don’t expect the country’s sweets to be all that memorable, but if you manage to save a little room for dessert, you might just be pleasantly surprised. Happy tasting.