There are an infinite amount of desserts around the world worth trying, and as someone who has a bit of a “food problem” I can tell you I have no problem trying most of them. But I do have a bit of a quirk: I don’t like chocolate. I’ll eat chocolate, but I really never crave any. However, the way most people feel about chocolate is precisely how I feel about coconut. And when I saw a particularly awesome coconut-filled dessert in Bangkok, I knew I had found the best dessert that my baht could buy. I’m going to go out on a limb here and venture that it is the best 80 cents you can spend on earth, and easily the best Thai dessert out there.
Which is half of a young coconut filled with coconut ice cream, young coconut pulp and coconut chunks in the coconut ice cream.
Itim Kati, coconut ice cream. The best Thai dessert.
UPDATE: Many of you have asked where to find such deliciousness. This was one of the many terrific Thai desserts that comes from a man with a cart and a bell on it. In this case, I went back to Bangkok and paid a visit to my old street near Victory Monument. Under the Rajwithi highway overpass, just near Soi 6, a coconut ice cream cart awaited us. Here’s a photo of the man in question, thanks to Dwight Turner:
Yes, there are many other desserts that can be bought on the cheap, the world over. But in terms of quantity and quality for your efforts, I’ve yet to find one as pretty and wholesome as that coconutty goodness above.
Please let the record reflect that I also have a soft spot for:
– khanom gluay (sticky rice, bananas, sugar and shredded coconut, boiled into one green gooey treat)
– khao niow mamuang (mango sticky rice, covered in coconut cream)
– khanom krok (sweet coconut rice dumplings)
– khanom piek poon (burnt coconut jelly topped with shredded coconut), and
– takoh (coconut cream, thickened with tapioca flour and served over a bed of sticky rice and taro).
Most of these are actually cheaper, at 15-30 cents each. It’s a wonder I’m not 200 pounds because – you know it! – all of these can be found in Thailand.
Back to regularly scheduled programming (read: photos of Burma and Thrillable Hours posts) shortly, but as my time in Thailand comes to a close in the next few weeks, I couldn’t let this 80 cent dessert go unseen.
-Jodi
haha
coconutty
Coconut explosion! Some chopped jackfruit would go sooo good with all of that coconut.
Dios mio, that looks awesome. I agree with you about coconut, it’s my weakness in desserts as well. And for eighty cents? how can you beat that???
It’s true! The other coconut squares or custards are only 5 baht (15 cents) so really I don’t have to be picky. And they’re all delicious!
Mmmm. Many, many years ago found a Thai lady who was doing up coconut ‘glaces’ from her home on Kho Phi Phi. This photo captures sth mouth watering. :)
I have a feeling that months from now when I’m long gone from Thailand, I’ll be looking at this photo with the same wistful eyes as you have now. Glad it brought back some good memories!
I will always have a soft spot in my heart for mango sticky rice (that said, I’m not a fan of the texture of coconut…)
Coconut is not for all, I know. I didn’t like it as a kid because the taste was too strong, but I do love it now. Then again, I’m the same person who loves those crazy goopy boiled rice balls filled with sesame in China – texture isn’t an issue with me and foods! (Just olives. Olives are an issue).
Gawd that looks good. Really good. Mama likey. I always buy coconut ice cream from the ice cream truck making the rounds at Pigeon Point Beach in Tobago. So, so good!
I have a feeling I’ll be buying some coconut ice cream when I’m back in North America for the summer, thinking dreamily about how much cheaper it was back in Thailand :)
There’s a Thai food place near me that has custard inside of a coconut. Best. Ever.
My mouth is watering…missing Thai desserts. Coconut ice cream is so refreshing on a hot Thai day.
Looks amazing! But, I don’t like coconut!! I want to like it, and I’ve tried forcing myself to eat it in the hope it will grow on me, but I can’t do it! It’s awful!
Aw, don’t force yourself! I feel the same way about olives. I can’t stand them. My best friend is Italian and she took it upon herself to convince me I was wrong, stuffing olives with minced meat and frying them and serving in this great sauce. And I tried it and said “well, it’d be great without the olive?” If your taste buds say no, don’t force it. Plenty of delicious non-coconut desserts to go around!
I miss this Thai dessert. I have found a water down version at the Asian grocery store in Atlanta but it’s not the same.
It’s rarely the same, I know! But at least you know if you come back to Thailand there are plenty of places to pick up some coconutty goodness. Hope you and the family are well!
That looks DELICIOUS!! I love coconut and ice cream! I’ve tried to cut the ice cream out of my diet lately but this looks so yummy I would have to eat it! However, it would really help me if this was really expensive and not so cheap! :)
It’s expensive to get to Thailand, at least? :)
Yeah, that kinda cancels out the 80 cent coconut ice cream. Too expensive to fly over there just for that. Maybe you could mail it to me to try! :)
I got all excited when I saw “best eighty cent dessert” because dessert is my FAVORITE course in any meal and the best snack ever, in my opinion. Alas, sadly – I don’t like coconut. :( However, I do love ice cream. I hope we can still be friends?
As you can see from the comments, you’re not the only one. We can definitely still be friends – this just means we can keep our desserts all for ourselves ;)
You have done the world a great favor with this post. There must be some kind of “Dessert Discovery” award we can give you. If there isn’t one yet, I’ll wholeheartedly start the inquiries needed for the creation of such an award…
Yum.
I appreciate the vote of confidence. Thailand’s got so many delicious desserts to try that you can spend weeks and not get to them all! My new favourite is a coconut rice flour square topped with sweet egg yolk (cooked, of course). Yum!
Yum! Hope we can indulge in some (or many?!) of these tonight!
Sadly I’ve only found these in Bangkok but I hope the BBQ pork was sufficient to make you glad you stopped into Chiang Mai. Nice to have met you in person!
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I am always a sucker for desserts. This looks amazing!
I so have to have that desert im off to find some Thai place that can offer that to me. Geez you just made my mouth water I just love coconuts. and for only .80 are you kinding me.
That looks delicious! The coconut bowl is so eco-friendly, you almost have to buy it just for that! :P I guess it’s time for lunch…. so it can be followed by dessert…. :)
I love desserts, and I was amused by the title at first. But you did total justice to it. I want to taste it right away!