Thapthim Krop.
Thailand is represented by Mango with Sticky Rice and Thapthim Krop.
CNN International has named its top 50 desserts and several Asian treats have made the list.
Thailand is represented by Mango with Sticky Rice and Thapthim Krop.
CNN International says mango with sticky rice is “among the world’s most famous desserts”.
“It begins with the glutinous rice that's grown in paddies across South-east Asia. The starchy grains are combined with rich coconut milk and palm sugar for a treat that retains a chewy bite even when it's perfectly soft.”
Thapthim Krop, says CNN, is perfect after a fiery Thai meal. “It cools you down with crushed ice and a sweetened coconut liquid infused with pandan leaves.
“For Thapthim Krop lovers, the ‘rubies’ are the real treasure. For these, water chestnuts are soaked in vivid grenadine syrup, rolled in tapioca flour, and then boiled. The result is a sweet bite that's both chewy and slightly crunchy with a hint of salt from the coconut broth.”
Bangkok-born Pichet Ong, a celebrated pastry chef known for blending Asian and European ingredients, told CNN’s Jen Rose Smith, how sweets from Singapore and Thailand tell the stories of Asian migration and international trade.
Other desserts to make the top 50 list included:
Cendol, Singapore
CNN says, “On sweltering afternoons in Singapore, locals cool off with this chilled and silky sweet, which is a favourite at seaside restaurants and sidewalk stands. Iced coconut milk is sweetened with a palm sugar syrup, which lends it a lightly smoky, caramelised flavour.
“The rich liquid is a lush base for tender threads of green rice-flour jelly, which gets its vivid colour from the pandan juice that's extracted from leaves of the tropical screw pine.
“Versions of this blissfully cool dessert can be found throughout South-east Asia, but with the addition of a scoop of sweetened red beans, Singapore's take on the classic treat remains especially tempting.”
Dan Tats, Hong Kong
“Follow the wafting scent of egg custard into a Hong Kong bakery to sample one of the territory's most iconic treats,” CNN advises. “Perfectly sized for eating out-of-hand, dan tats are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, when the warm custard meets a perfectly crisp crust. And with a map-spanning backstory, dan tats are among the tastiest symbols of globalisation.
“Many trace dan tats to the similar pastéis de nata of Portugal; those eggy tarts travelled with Portuguese traders and colonists to cities around the world. After establishing a foothold in Hong Kong via nearby Macau, they were re-exported to Chinatowns around the globe.
Snow Ice, Xue Hua Bing, Taiwan
CNN says, “ Like snow cones, Hawaiian shaved ice, raspados, granitas and dozens of other local variants, snow ice is Taiwan's answer to one of the world's great food truths: Nothing beats a sweet, icy treat when the weather is steamy.
“Unusual shaving technique and complex toppings elevate the Taiwanese version above the competition. A creamy base, which can be flavoured with everything from green tea to fruit purées, is frozen solid then shaved into a lofty pile of crumbling ice flakes.
“To top it all off, blend your own perfect mix of treats. Favourites include adzuki red bean paste, taro, grass jelly, fresh fruit, sweetened condensed milk and mochi, but Taiwanese snow ice is an invitation to get as creative as you'd like.
“For the classic experience, head to Taipei's Shilin Night Market, where locals line up for the xue hua bing sold by dozens of vendors.”