Many years ago, on one of my first wanderings through the old town, I made a discovery.

By the roadside, a market vendor had stacked a pyramid of bright yellow, elongated oval fruits on a large table.

These mangoes gave off a cloud of floral aromas—citrus, honey, and jasmine—unlike anything else.

Of course, I had to try this exotic fruit right away.

It was served to me on a small plate with sticky rice and mung beans, topped with a creamy coconut sauce.

That was the beginning of a culinary love affair with Thailand’s national dessert: mango with sticky rice, Mango Sticky Rice.

The history of this dessert goes back several hundred years.

It also became famous because it was a favorite at the royal court. Sticky rice itself originally comes from northeastern Thailand and Laos.

 Sticky rice is still an everyday staple there, much like bread in Europe.

Mangos are harvested throughout the country, but key growing areas for the premium variety Nam Dok Mai
are in the southeast, around Chantaburi and Chachoengsao. We now find plenty of mangoes in big discount supermarkets here, too, but they’re often green, mostly imported from South America, have no aroma at all, and taste bland and fibrous to me.

By contrast, what a revelation Thai fruits are! The perfect serving of mango sticky rice has just three main ingredients: sticky rice, coconut milk and ripe mango. The secret lies in the preparation. The rice is soaked for hours, then steamed and mixed with warm, lightly salted coconut milk.

It should be soft, but not mushy, and then, of course, the mango. In Thailand, the variety Nam Dok Mai is often used. It is deep yellow, almost buttery-soft, and incredibly juicy and aromatic.

 Not the least bit fibrous. This dessert becomes a real treat when the mango’s sweetness meets the slight saltiness of the coconut cream.

It’s best when the rice is still warm and creamy, with a little crunch from roasted mung beans or sesame on top.

This is how I like it best.

Bangkok is one of the best places in the world to eat this dessert.

Between January and May, mangoes are in peak season, and you’ll find it everywhere: at night markets, in food courts, in the little lanes of Chinatown, and even in fine-dining restaurants.

I think April and May are the best months for mangoes in Thailand, taste-wise.

Today, you can get this dessert all year round, but out of season the mangoes are often less aromatic and sometimes a little watery. And it really isn’t a dessert for tourists.

I’ve seen it served as an everyday dessert at many family gatherings in villages and small towns, usually during mango season. It also comes in different versions with coloured sticky rice—for example, a delicate green made by soaking it in an infusion of pandan leaves.

Or even purple, made with fresh butterfly pea flowers picked in the roadside villages in the morning.

And soak this until the water turns this purple color, which transfers to the rice.

So colored rice isn’t just a tourist gimmick, as I initially thought.

In Bangkok, if you’re lucky, you can get mango sticky rice for as little as 50 baht. For good quality, though, expect to pay closer to 150 baht.

But it’s worth it. Pay a few baht more and enjoy an unforgettable, uniquely Thai culinary experience.