It has rice in it. Is it a meal?
It is usually enjoyed as a sweet dessert. You eat mango together with sticky rice flavoured with coconut milk. If you have it after a meal, it is fine to share it with your companion.
Mango Sticky Rice
Khao Niao Mamuang · ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
If you want something sweet after a meal, try mango sticky rice. It is a Thai dessert of ripe mango served beside sticky rice flavoured with coconut milk. Take mango and sticky rice in one mouthful and the sweetness of the fruit meets the chewy rice. If you have finished a big meal, share one plate with your companion.
Mango sticky rice served in Thailand · Arthur Taksin · CC BY 4.0
Resized for display
What does it taste like?
The sweetness of mango is joined by the richness of coconut. The sticky rice is chewy, so the texture is different from eating the fruit alone. Taste the mango and the rice separately, then bring them together on one spoon.
It contains rice, but it is enjoyed as a sweet dessert.
The basics
- Dish
- Mango Sticky Rice · Khao Niao Mamuang
- Thai name
- ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
- Type
- Desserts
- Region
- Central · A signature Thai dessert
- Main ingredients
- Ripe mango served with sticky rice flavoured with coconut milk. The sauce and toppings vary from seller to seller.
The dish and where it comes from
In Thailand, sticky rice flavoured with coconut milk is eaten as a dessert with a variety of toppings. Mango sticky rice is the one served with ripe mango. It contains rice, but think of it as a sweet pudding rather than a meal eaten with savoury dishes.
How to order and eat it
- If you have already finished a meal, look at the size of the plate and decide whether to share.
- Try the mango and the sticky rice one mouthful each, then together. You can feel how the flavour and texture change when the two meet.
- If the sauce comes separately, add it a little at a time. You do not need to pour it all on at the start.
Frequently asked questions
Does the mango always taste the same?
No. It depends on the variety, how ripe it is and when it is sold. Since the sticky rice and coconut sauce are added to the flavour of the mango, try them together in each mouthful.
More dishes and cities to explore
Official sources and references
If you would like to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are worth a look. Ingredients and cooking methods can vary from one cook to the next.
Sharing image credit: Arthur Taksin · CC BY 4.0