Cup O' Coconut

In the world of Thai desserts, it's sweet khanom bueang - crispy Thai 'pancakes' filled with cream and egg threads - that get all the attention. I don't think I've met a Thailand-traveled farang who hasn't raved about them.

Eh.

For my baht, nothing beats khanom tuai, a two-layered coconut dream that may score low on the cute scale (no mini tacos here) but sits high in the if-you're-going-to-indulge-you-might-as-well-go-all-out rankings.

This sweet named for the dish it's steamed in ('tuai' means cup or small bowl in Thai) consists of a layer of smooth coconut jelly capped with silky coconut cream. Both small cups and larger saucers serve as khanom tuai molds. I favor versions steamed in the latter, for their higher coconut cream-to-jelly ratio.

I've been known, after my fourth or fifth, to scrape the coconut cream into my mouth and toss the jelly. The best khanom tuai makers add a good bit of salt to the top layer, an inspired move. The salt slices right through the almost obscenely unctuous coconut cream, 'lightening' the treat and facilitating further gorging.

As with any street food, quality varies. Still, I've never met a khanom tuai I didn't like.

Kanom tuai, sold on a street corner near you (if you're in Thailand) - keep an eye out for the cups. Ten or twenty baht for more than even I can eat in one sitting.

Comments

[cee]

agreed - i prefer these to khanom bueang, but my all-time favorite is khanom krok.

my gf bought a box of these and of khanom krok from the vendor to tempt me a few days ago, hours after i told her i was going to try to eat less to lose some weight. she proved i don't have much willpower when it comes to coconut cream! :)

you can buy these frozen (with the little ceramic blue & white cups included!) at 'bangkok grocery' in nyc's chinatown (probably elsewhere too). doesn't beat the real thing, but it's not bad. we would steam them in the steamer for about 10 minutes to soften them before eating.

[Robyn]

cee - I like khanom krok too ... but not when they've cooled down (hot out of the pan they *are* pretty wonderful!). Khanom tuai are, I think, fine at room temp.
Wish we could buy the frozen version here in Kuala Lumpur....

[IronEaters]

they looked so yummy! i can imagine they are v fragrant =)

[Pim]

I love Khanom Tuai as well. It's hard to find good ones though, or at least that's what I think. The best ones I've had were from the province of Samut Sakorn and Samut Songkram, where they produce Nam tan ta node and have plenty of fresh coconut.

I guess I'm a bit squeamish but I'm not so keen on buying these off the street from unknown vendors. They can be a bit dicey. At least the Kanom Bueng and Kanom Krok are usually made right before you.

The street-style Kanom Bueng - with creamy whipped egg white which became the standard twenty or so years ago - is pretty gnarly. I love the old-fashioned ones. There are still a couple vendors in Sam Praeng that I always go to when I'm in Thailand.

Oh, yes, and gorgeous photos as usual.

[Robyn]

Iron Eaters - yes, very fragrant with coconut.

Pim - well, as you by now know, we buy lots of stuff off the street from unknown vendors. ;-) And BKK is one place where that's never caused a problem. Will keep an eye out for these next time we're in Sam Praeng.