Mango & Sticky Rice
Ingredients: mango, sticky rice, roasted mung bean and sesame seed; for colour: rose petals for red/pink sticky rice, pandan leaves for green sticky rice, Asian pigeonwings for blue sticky rice, and plain pandan leaves for white sticky rice.
Mango with Sticky Rice ("ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง" in Thai), is a traditional Thai dessert. It typically consists of freshly cooked sticky rice drenched in sweet panda leaf scented coconut milk and served with fresh sliced mangoes on top. To enhance its texture and flavor, optional toppings like roasted mung beans and toasted sesame seeds can be sprinkled over it.
In the Central region of Thailand, coconut milk plays a pivotal role in this dessert due to the abundance of coconut trees in the area. However, in the colder Northern region, where obtaining fresh coconuts can be challenging, the use of coconut milk is less common.
The exact origin of mango sticky rice in Thailand is believed to date back to the late Ayutthaya period (former capital city, that's why my family name, along with all the other royal cadet-branch families, carries the "Na Ayutthaya" suffix, as we originated from that city). A historical verse from that era mentions a fondness for sweet dishes and references the “Ok Rong” or Cleavage Mango, a mango cultivar native to Thailand. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn, the dish was a common dessert of the court. Although mango sticky rice is said to have originated in Thailand, it has since spread to numerous Southeast and South Asian countries.
Speaking of sticky rice, there's a saying that to be truly Thai, one must eat non-glutinous rice and speak the Thai language. However, in Northern and Northeastern Thailand, known as "Isan," plain sticky rice is a staple food, typically enjoyed by hand and without the addition of coconut. They also speaks Lanna dialect in the north and Loatian in the Northeastern. In contrast, in the central plains of Thailand, where the majority of residents are considered "authentic Thai," sticky rice is primarily used for desserts.
Mango sticky rice is a popular street food in Thailand, attracting foreign tourists, especially during the peak mango season of April and May. Common sweet mango varieties like Flower Nectar “Nam Dok Mai” Mango or Cleavage “Ok Rong” Mango are paired with glutinous rice sweetened with coconut milk, creating a warm and delightful treat. Within royal and noble circles, we have the Chitralada mango (same variants, but different strands), which was meticulously cultivated by the late King Rama IX. The term "Chitralada" refers to his palace, where the Bureau of the Royal Household, the Royal Page, and the Royal School (exclusively for royals and nobles), where I went to school and worked there for majority of my teenage and young adult life, are located.
