Our Thai host speedily purchased these when we passed them on a market stall.
In texture, they are a little like soft shredded wheat. The taste is quite bland, like a heavily-eggy custard. Normally I knock down small children to obtain custard-based desserts, but this time I was happy to settle for just one.
This street-stall dessert reminds me a little of fortune cookies, although instead of a strip of paper bearing some sage or occasionally baffling advice, it contains a bright, sticky confection.
I can’t deny I have a deep love for deep-fried food. So when our Thai host recommended these snacks, I only put up a token resistance.
The same small restaurant that serves the gaeng jued tam luang also sells packets of Thai sweets. This includes nang let, a delicious crispy snack.
They are made from cooked sticky rice that has been formed into patties, dried, fried and topped with a swirl of palm sugar caramel. A sprinkle of black sesame seeds is mixed in with the rice, which adds a subtle nutty flavour.
On a previous visit to Thailand nearly 5 years ago, while out with our hosts we suddenly screeched to the side of the road and shortly afterwards were the proud owners of a box of khanom krok. Hot, crispy, soft and coconutty, the little half-spheres were sublimely delicious.
