The history of Thai desserts
"Khanom" means dessert
Khanom has been created for over 1,000 years during Sukhothai period (1238-1350) and become more popular and developed during Ayutthaya period (1350-1767).
Thai desserts are mostly made from coconut flesh, coconut cream and rice flour. Since most of the areas in country have been used for agriculture purposes, natural ingredients are plentiful and easily obtainable. Anyhow the most influential development of Thai dessert history came from Portuguese lady name "Marie Guimar". The lady was born from Portuguese father and Japanese mother in Siam in the reign of King Narai (1656-1688). Marie was given the Siamese title and name as "Thao Thong Kipma". Her husband was Constantine Phaulkon, a Greek sailor who rose to the highest non-hereditary rank of Chao Phraya Wichayen. This provided her an opportunity to introduced the ladies in the palace the arts of cooking, especially several desserts from Portugal with yolk ,sugar and wheat flour as main ingredients.
In the old days, Khanom was considered just an addition to a meal that was not essential, its appearance on a dining table suggested the completeness and importance of the meal for the royal family. Moreover Thai desserts have played an important role on auspicious occasions and ceremonies offering to Buddhist monks as well. The delicacy and time consuming during the process of making dessert are the key rolls of how meticulous and luscious both for favours and unrivalled beauty appearance.
Therefore, the names of the dessert were carefully selected to express the positive meaning blessing to both the receivers and the givers. For instance, the desserts with names beginning or ending of the word as"Thong" represent gold, such as "Thong-Yip", "Thong-Yot". The believing of gold will blessing and bring good luck as it symbolises fame and wealthy which still remain nowadays.