When it comes to dessert, Thailand offers a rich variety in all sorts of textures, shapes and sizes to satisfy your sweet cravings. Sure, mango with sticky rice reigns at the top, but look further and you’ll discover there’s so much more to drool over, thanks to the country’s melting pot of cultures, with influences that range from Portugal to India. Here are some lesser-known local picks that you can easily find at any food market the next time you’re looking for a sweet fix.
Tua Pab (Mung bean dumplings)
Inexpensive and generally found at all local food markets, tua pab doesn’t seem to get as much international attention as other more photogenic Thai desserts. However, it’s no less delicious and, because you can control how sweet you want it to be, it’s something you can easily enjoy every day. Shaped like a hyacinth bean (after which the dessert is named), these bite-sized snacks are made of coconut-coated sticky rice dough with a lightly flavored steamed mung bean filling. Pile on as much toasted sesame and sugar as you like before eating. Try the meticulously made and dainty traditional tua pab at Wanlamun dessert shop, which has branches in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Roti Saimai (Roti-wrapped candy floss)
No visit to the historic province of Ayutthaya would be complete without a stash of roti saimai to take home as gifts. Besides river prawns, another star of Thailand’s old capital is this snack which requires getting hands-on: add your candy floss onto a roti crepe and roll it up like a burrito. It’s a great example of Thailand’s cultural mashups — the paper-thin roti is adapted from those in the Indian subcontinent, and the treat has been perfected by Thai Muslims. It’s quite the popular dessert, and a number of roti saimai shops are listed in the Michelin Guide’s Thailand edition.
Takoh (Coconut cream pudding)
Takoh has always been served in a banana leaf wrapper, which is to say that Thais have had sustainable and eco-friendly practices before it was even a thing. The standard takoh is sweet tapioca or tapioca pudding topped with a slightly salty and rich coconut cream made of rice flour and coconut milk. But a small piece of ingredient sitting on the top layer of coconut cream usually hints at any extra filling, most commonly water chestnut, corn or taro. Come longan season, the fruit adds a delicious, natural sweetness to takoh.
Woon Grob (Crunchy jelly)
Ask any Thai and it’s unlikely that they’ve gone through childhood without munching on woon grob, or crunchy jelly, with their friends or as an afterschool snack. Woon grob can be a surprising (and fun!) one for the senses if you’ve never had it before. It’s cooked like any jelly — rough starch is what makes the jelly harden — and sun-dried for a few days. Woon grob uses jasmine-infused water which adds an aromatic oomph to the treat. When done right, it should be crispy on the outside, gummy but easy-to-chew on the inside.
Ar Lua
This bud-shaped sweet has been around since the 17th century. It was introduced to the royal court in Ayutthaya by Maria Guyomar de Pina, a partly Portuguese woman whose husband served as prime counselor to King Narai. Maria is famously known for having brought a handful of Portuguese dessert recipes to the ancient kingdom. Like woon grob, ar lua is crunchy on the outside but is tender on the inside. Made with sugar, coconut milk and all-purpose flour, these tiny, bright-colored treats are infused with smoke from fragrant candles — they’re not only tasty, they also smell divine.
Khao Niaw Dum Piak (Black sticky rice pudding)
Thais can eat rice for any course– so naturally, it can be enjoyed for dessert too. Literally translated as wet black sticky rice, making khao niaw dum piak only requires boiling black glutinous rice in water, palm sugar and a dash of flour. It’s served with a drizzle of lightly salted coconut milk on top. Best enjoyed warm, this creamy Thai rice pudding strikes a satisfying balance between sweet and salty. Fancier versions feature taro, coconut strips or longan, but even at its most basic, khao niaw dum piak is surprisingly satisfying.
