Thai desserts are more than just something sweet to eat after a meal but have also been used in Buddhist rituals and ceremonies and are very popular gifts for special occasions. The names of each dessert also represent positive symbolic meanings to promote prosperity and success to participants in such auspicious occasion. Many Thai desserts (Kanom Thai) include the word ‘Thong’, which literally means gold in Thai and signifies glory and high esteem. I hope that people who enjoy their desserts will someday have the opportunity to enjoy these delicacies from Thailand… here is my top 5 list of Thai desserts.

Thailand is a paradise for food aficionados – the ultimate destination for enthusiast of fine cuisine.  Thai people center much of their social activities on eating places and the enjoyment of eating; over centuries this social behaviour has resulted in the evolution of Thai cuisine and elevated Thai culinary status to worldwide renown. Not only does Thailand have myriad delectable dishes but it also offers unique and delightful desserts that are sure to appease the discerning sweet teeth.

Thai sweets, or ‘Kanom Thai’, have unique, colorful appearance and distinct flavours. The art of Thai desserts have been passed down through the generations.  Some of today’s Thai desserts are on record as far back as the Sukhothai period, almost 800 years ago.

Thai desserts are made of three principle ingredients: flour, sugar, and coconut (eggs were later introduced by Portuguese traders). Despite these simple components, Thai desserts can require sophisticated skills, requiring time and care in their preparation. These three ingredients are carefully mixed and prepared using time honoured methods to create tantalizing treats. Thai desserts may also contain any number of other fresh ingredients including palm sugar, rice flours, lotus seeds, cassava roots, various fresh fruits… and other ingredients.

Thai cooks are also well known for utilizing herbs and plants into their food preparation. Coloring for Thai sweets can be wistfully obtained from flowers, plants and other ingredients: red from rose, purple/blue from Blue Pea blossoms, yellow/orange from yolk and green from pandanus leaves. Not only do Thai desserts have vibrant variety of colors but also do they have sweet fragrances, which are acquired from aromatic flowers. Thai dessert chefs will soak jasmine and other fragrant flowers in water and make sweetly-scented syrup with this water.

Thai desserts are widely available; they can be found in a range of places from street vendors, Thai restaurants, and in the Gourmet section in the supermarkets. Below are five very popular Thai sweets that I can personally vouch for and, trust me when I say, Tommi knows his desserts. My top 5 desserts are easily available in Thailand and make a savoury treat that you will surely enjoy.

	5. Tub Tim Grob (Crunchy Mock Pomegranate in Iced Coconut Syrup or Red Rubies)Though these pinkish-red seeds look like those of pomegranate (Tub Tim has two meanings in Thai; pomegranate and ruby), they are actually made of water chestnut chopped into cubes and glazed with flour. The way jasmine-scented syrup blends with mildly sweet and salty coconut milk gives this dish a delicious taste that will linger on your taste buds. Some people also add jackfruit to give Tub Tim Grob an wider mix of colors and fragrances. ‘Red Rubies’ is always served cold and topped with crushed ice. This is a very tasty dessert that Thai people eat during summer time to freshen up from the country’s hot weather
	4. Bua Loi (Rice Balls in Coconut Milk)Bua Loi, which literally means “Floating Lotus”, is an irresistible Thai dessert that will have you coming back for more. Unlike Tub Tim Grob that is crunchy, the rice balls are particularly soft and sticky and come in many different colors. The mildly sweet Bua Loi is usually served in hot coconut cream with syrup-poached eggs on top. Bua Loi has another variation that the rice balls are doused in hot ginger soup; it is referred to as “Bua Loi Nam King” and greatly influenced by Chinese cooking. Bua Loi with poached eggs is called “Bua Loi Kai Wan” or “Rice Balls with Sweet Egg.”
	3. Look Choob (Green Bean Miniature Fruit)Look Choob looks just like marzipan but it is made of steamed green beans, coconut milk and sugar – instead of almond flour and sugar. The green bean paste is molded into a shape of a variety of tropical fruits and then is dip-coated in jelly that gives it a shiny look. These Look Choob mini-fruits have very tantalizing colors and sugary flavor – when they are arranged together, they look more like mini decoratives than desserts
	2. Thong Yib and Thong Yod (Yolk-Egg Golden Pinch and Golden Droplets)Thong Yib and Thong Yod are always served together since they look and taste alike. The only difference between these two sweets is their shapes which result from how they are formed. Thong Yod yolk mixture is dropped into boiling thick syrup and that creates such a droplet of yellow yolk sweets while Thong Yib is put in a small cup. Thong Yib and Thong Yod are usually eaten in moderation because they are very syrupy and rich in egg yolk and sugar.
	1. Kao Niaw Ma-Muang (Sweet Sticky Rice with Ripe Mango and Coconut Cream)This tantalizing dessert deserves the king of Thai sweets – Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango never fails to delight the taste buds. Kao Niaw Ma-Muang is prepared by steaming Thai glutinous rice in rich coconut milk and syrup. The resulting sweet and creamy sticky rice is eaten with two certain types of tropical fruits; mango and durian. Since durian flavour is often not appreciated by many farangs (foreigners).  Mango with its exotic sweet and slightly sour flavour makes an excellent compliment to the creamy and rich sweet rice. To top it off, a thick and rich coconut cream sauce with mildly salty flavor is poured on the rice and mango to add more complexity to the flavour. Sometimes it is eaten with crispy cereal or sesame seeds as toppings. A definite must eat – mmmm… aroi mak!

Thai desserts are often overlooked by many foreigners that delight in many other Thai foods. Thai restaurants tend to underrate the dessert experience, yet Thai desserts offer an authentic way to top off your Thai food meal.