Desserts

Bua loi, meaning 'floating lotus' in Thai, is a traditional Thai dessert consisting of colorful sticky rice balls made from glutinous rice flour, served in warm coconut cream sweetened with palm sugar. The rice balls are often naturally colored and flavored with taro, pumpkin, or pandan, creating a beautiful rainbow effect that floats in the creamy coconut milk. Dating back to the late 1600s during the Ayutthaya period, this beloved dessert symbolizes unity, completeness, and familial harmony in Thai culture. It is traditionally served during special occasions, celebrations, and the Dongzhi Festival (Chinese Winter Solstice Festival) to pray for family safety and prosperity.

Black grass jelly dessert with brown sugar syrup. A refreshing traditional Thai dessert made from the leaves and stalks of Chinese mesona (Platostoma palustre), creating a fragrant, slightly bitter jelly with a translucent dark brown or black appearance. Typically served with crushed ice and natural brown sugar, this cooling dessert is perfect for hot weather and is believed to have yin (cooling) properties in traditional medicine.

Known as the 'King of Fruits,' durian is Thailand's most famous and controversial tropical fruit, celebrated for its rich, custard-like flesh and distinctive pungent aroma. Thai durian, particularly from the eastern provinces of Chanthaburi and Rayong, is considered among the world's finest. This comprehensive guide covers selecting premium durian varieties like Monthong and Chanee, proper opening techniques, and authentic serving methods. Whether you're a first-timer or an enthusiast, understanding Thai durian varieties and selection methods is key to enjoying this legendary fruit.

A traditional Thai dessert featuring bananas simmered in sweet, creamy coconut milk. The name 'Buat Chi' means 'to ordain as a nun,' sometimes earning it the nickname 'nun bananas.' This simple yet beloved dessert showcases the perfect harmony of sweet, salty, and creamy flavors that Thai cuisine is known for.

Thai fried bananas with a crispy, light batter coating. This beloved street food snack features ripe Thai bananas (traditionally Burro or Nam Wah varieties) dipped in a delicate mixture of rice flour, shredded coconut, and sesame seeds, then deep-fried to golden perfection. The result is a perfectly balanced treat with a crunchy exterior and soft, sweet interior that has been enjoyed across Thailand for generations.

A traditional Thai layered jelly dessert featuring alternating layers of creamy white coconut milk jelly and vibrant green pandan-infused jelly, creating a beautiful and refreshing treat. Made with agar-agar powder derived from seaweed, this naturally vegan dessert has a distinctive soft yet slightly crunchy texture. The aromatic pandan leaves add a subtle floral, nutty flavor that perfectly complements the rich coconut cream. Popular throughout Central Thailand, this chilled dessert is especially beloved during hot weather and is commonly found at street markets, dessert shops, and family gatherings. The striking green and white layers make it as visually appealing as it is delicious.

I-Tim Kati is Thailand's beloved traditional coconut ice cream - a naturally dairy-free, gluten-free dessert with pure coconut flavor. This creamy, refreshing ice cream is crafted with coconut milk, coconut water, palm sugar, and pandan leaf. Often served street-style in fluffy white bread buns with sticky rice and an array of traditional toppings like roasted peanuts, sweet corn, and palm seeds, it's a nostalgic treat that embodies the authentic taste of Thai street food culture.

Traditional Thai coconut rice pancakes that are crispy on the bottom, creamy in the middle, and slightly sweet throughout. These bite-sized treats are cooked in a special cast iron pan with small round indentations, creating perfectly spherical pockets with a golden, crispy shell and a soft, custardy coconut center. A beloved street food snack found throughout Thailand, khanom krok showcases the Thai mastery of balancing textures and flavors. Often topped with green onions, corn, or taro, these delicate pancakes are best enjoyed fresh and hot from the pan.

A legendary Thai custard dessert from Phetchaburi province, created in the 1700s by Maria Guyomar de Pinha, the Portuguese-Japanese-Bengali confectioner who revolutionized Thai desserts. This baked coconut custard, traditionally enriched with taro or mung beans, features the unique combination of duck eggs, rich coconut cream, and aromatic palm sugar, all topped with crispy fried shallots. The contrast of sweet custard with savory shallots creates an unforgettable flavor profile. Phetchaburi's version is particularly prized for using high-quality palm sugar from the province's renowned sugar palm trees, giving it a distinctive caramel-like depth and golden color.

A beloved traditional Thai street food dessert featuring two distinct layers steamed in small ceramic cups. The bottom layer is sweetly perfumed with pandan and made with rice flour, while the top layer is a rich, slightly salty coconut cream. This creamy, steamed dessert embodies the essence of Thai culinary simplicity - lightly sweet, subtly salty, and silky smooth. The name 'khanom' means dessert, and 'tuay' refers to the small ceramic cups (thaui talai) traditionally used for steaming. Each bite offers a perfect balance of contrasting flavors and textures that exemplifies Thai dessert mastery.

A luxurious Thai dessert that pairs sweet sticky rice infused with coconut cream with fresh durian chunks in a fragrant coconut-palm sugar sauce. This Eastern Thai specialty celebrates the 'King of Fruits' by combining its creamy, custard-like texture with perfectly steamed sticky rice. The durian's bold, distinctive flavor is mellowed by sweet coconut sauce, creating a rich, indulgent dessert beloved by durian enthusiasts. Particularly popular in Chanthaburi and Rayong provinces during durian season (May-August).

A beloved traditional Thai and Lao dessert featuring sticky rice sweetened with coconut milk and wrapped around ripe banana, all bundled in aromatic banana leaves and steamed to perfection. This iconic sweet snack is commonly served at weddings, festivals, and special occasions, particularly during Ok Phansa (the end of Buddhist Lent). The parcels are traditionally steamed in pairs, symbolizing couples and unity. The result is a soft, chewy, subtly sweet treat that showcases Thailand's mastery of simple ingredients and traditional wrapping techniques.

A beloved traditional Thai dessert featuring perfectly steamed sticky rice infused with sweetened coconut cream, served alongside slices of ripe, sweet mango and drizzled with warm coconut sauce. This iconic dessert represents the pinnacle of Thai street food culture, offering a sublime balance of creamy, sweet, and fruity flavors with contrasting textures. Popular during mango season (April-May), it showcases Thailand's mastery of combining simple ingredients into an unforgettable culinary experience.

A beloved traditional Thai dessert where silky coconut custard is steamed inside a hollowed kabocha pumpkin. The rich, aromatic custard infused with pandan and palm sugar melds beautifully with the sweet, creamy pumpkin flesh to create an elegant treat that reflects centuries of Thai culinary tradition. Often found at street food vendors and restaurants throughout Thailand, this dessert is typically served by the slice with the edible pumpkin skin.

A delightful traditional Thai dessert featuring two distinct layers of pudding served in aromatic pandan leaf cups. The bottom layer is a translucent, jewel-like pudding made with mung bean starch, often studded with crunchy water chestnuts and infused with the fragrance of pandan. The top layer is a luscious, slightly salty coconut cream that perfectly balances the sweetness below. This beloved street snack showcases the Thai mastery of contrasting textures and balancing sweet with salty, creating a harmonious bite-sized treat that's as beautiful as it is delicious. Traditionally served during Thai New Year celebrations, tako represents the elegance of simple ingredients transformed into an unforgettable dessert experience.

A classic Thai dessert featuring fresh water chestnuts coated in tapioca starch and food coloring to resemble glistening rubies, served in sweetened coconut milk with crushed ice. This refreshing treat combines the crunch of water chestnuts with a chewy tapioca coating, creating a delightful textural contrast that's perfect for hot days.

Golden egg yolk threads - a traditional Thai dessert with Portuguese origins consisting of fine strands of egg yolk cooked in sugar syrup infused with fragrant pandan leaves. The delicate golden threads symbolize long life and prosperity, making this dessert a popular choice for Thai weddings and ceremonial occasions.

Khanom Chan is an ancient Thai layered dessert with soft, chewy, jelly-like texture made from rice flour, tapioca flour, coconut milk, and pandan. The name derives from 'khanom' meaning 'dessert' and 'chan' meaning 'layer.' Traditionally prepared with nine layers or more, this elegant steamed cake symbolizes prosperity and progress in Thai culture. The alternating green pandan and white coconut layers create a beautiful striped appearance that has made this dessert a centerpiece at celebrations, weddings, and sacred ceremonies for centuries.

Khao Lam is a traditional Thai and Lao dessert consisting of sweet sticky rice roasted in specially prepared bamboo tubes. This ancient dish combines glutinous rice with coconut milk, black beans, and palm sugar, creating layers of flavor from soft and creamy at the top to chewy and caramelized at the bottom. The bamboo imparts a subtle woody fragrance to the rice while the slow roasting over charcoal creates a uniquely textured dessert that has been enjoyed across Southeast Asia for centuries. Often found at street markets and temple festivals, Khao Lam represents the ingenuity of using bamboo as both cooking vessel and serving container.

Kanom Luk Chup is a traditional Thai dessert made from mung beans, coconut milk, sugar, and agar-agar, shaped into miniature fruits and vegetables. These delicate confections are hand-painted with vibrant food coloring and coated with a glossy agar glaze, creating stunning edible art pieces. Often called 'Thai marzipan,' luk chup was once reserved for Thai royalty and remains a symbol of refined Thai culinary craftsmanship.

A beloved Ayutthaya specialty featuring delicate, paper-thin roti flatbread wrapped around colorful strands of hand-pulled sugar floss (sai mai), meaning 'silk threads.' This Islamic-influenced dessert combines the subtle savory notes of pandan-scented roti with ethereally sweet cotton candy in vibrant hues of pink, green, yellow, purple, and white. The contrast between the tender, slightly crispy roti and the melt-in-your-mouth sugar threads creates a unique textural experience that has made this treat an iconic symbol of Thailand's ancient capital.

Thong Yip, meaning 'Picking Gold' or 'Pinched Gold', is an exquisite flower-shaped golden dessert and one of Thailand's nine auspicious traditional sweets. Made from duck and chicken egg yolks cooked in fragrant jasmine-scented sugar syrup, each piece is delicately pinched into a five-pointed star or flower shape. This luxurious dessert has a rich golden color symbolizing prosperity, with a moist, syrupy texture and delicate floral flavor. Traditionally served at weddings, ordinations, housewarmings, and royal ceremonies, Thong Yip is believed to bring wealth and success to those who receive it as a gift.

Golden drop-shaped egg yolk dessert, one of the nine auspicious traditional Thai desserts. Made from duck egg yolks, rice flour, and sugar syrup, each piece resembles a teardrop with a small tail. Thong Yod is characterized by its translucent golden appearance and sweet, delicate texture. The name 'Thong Yod' translates to 'golden drops,' symbolizing continuous wealth and prosperity, making it a popular dessert for weddings and special ceremonies.