Magical Party Tacos aka Amazing Thai Dessert

It’s sad, I know, but it took me an entire week in Thailand to try my first Thai dessert: khanom tang taek (or just tang teak). After getting dinner at a good mom ‘n’ pop feelin’ restaurant called Penny’s very close to our apartments, KT and I emerged from our soi (little street) to the main tha-non (road). It was night, at least 7-8, but it was still pretty hot. The typical thick and sticky climate combined with the countless food vendors with pots of hot oil that lined the street clashed into quite a hot mess. We wove through throngs of people getting late night fixin’s so we could attempt to cross the street. Roads here are quite an adventure in themselves; playing chicken with cars, motorbikes and scooters is quite exhilerating. But it was definitely worth the hassle.

I had spotted a vender earlier in the day, so I knew exactly where to go. The cart was run by one woman. There were four small griddles in the front, and she ladled some sort of batter into two of them for KT and I. As the pancake cooked, she turned to the back of the cart and scraped fresh coconut into a plastic container.

When the pancakes were toasted to perfection, she plopped a dollop of what I later learned were whipped egg whites into the center. She proceeded to sprinkle the fresh coconut and some bright orange confetti looking substance into the center. Apparently that’s some sort of sweet egg concoction, but it’s like now egg I’ve ever tasted! The final touch was a light sprinkling of sugar mixed with black sesame seeds.

She folded and handed the warm treats to us, and they looked like magical party tacos. After paying a mere 15 baht, we took our obligatory tourist photos of the intriguing meal and then took an enormous bite.

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Thai food has been blowing my mind. They combine spices in intricate exciting ways, which makes every meal an adventure. They expertly mix sweet, spicy, sour, and savory into one dish, making it suitable for any meal of the day! I had a soup today with loads of veggies, and tofu, and the condiments offered were chili powder, sugar, and lime. Somehow it all works here!

I tried another dessert at the Sunday night walking market this weekend called kanom krok. I was drawn to the adorable banana leaf boat they were served in. They are quite small, about the size of a half dollar coin.

The bite sized treat was light, fluffy, and the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The batter is essentially coconut milk and flesh, and flour. Inside each pancake were small pieces of chives to add that savory element. I also was encouraged to sprinkle sugar on them by the woman making them, so of course I did!

If I’ve learned anything about the food here, it is to trust the people making it to give you good tips. They’ll point at condiments to dress dishes, and hand you the correct cutlery. Sometimes I have no idea what I am eating, but I might as well try it, right?

-Rebekah

(I found this video on YouTube of a street vendor making kanom khok)

#thailand #food