The Art of the Thai Dessert

Creating a dessert is an important symbol of Thai hospitality and an expression of each community’s vibrant culinary heritage. But it’s also a dying art. Here, Pim Techamuanvivit, Executive Chef of Michelin-starred restaurant nahm at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, breaks down what makes a dessert special, and how she’s using her menus to maintain a creative art form.

Desserts hold significant cultural importance in Thai cuisine and traditions. Sculpted into intricate designs and vibrant colours, they’re traditionally served at important events such as Songkran (Thai New Year), or the annual Loy Krathong (Festival of Lights). They’re also whipped up for wedding ceremonies, important guests, and as religious offerings. Individual family recipes are a point of pride, closely guarded through generations and representative of cooking techniques and flavour combinations learned over centuries. 

But the making of traditional Thai desserts is also a dying art. There are several reasons behind that decline, including the fact that while they might look simple, Thai desserts are actually very complex to make. They also require top-quality, fresh ingredients such as milled rice flour and coconut milk. The time and effort that it takes to create each dessert is extraordinary — and often undervalued. But while mass-produced treats such as macarons are finding their way into fancy department stores, I’m determined to keep the art form of Thai desserts at nahm. I take their creation seriously, making them the proper way, with the right ingredients — not least because they’re so delicious. 

Each dessert at nahm is created around a single ingredient, such as coconut, pandan or rice. Using that ingredient, I explore the different textures and flavours that can be harvested from it. I want to get to the essence of the produce — to lay bare its truest form then build it into artwork. Our coconut plate, for example, has a gelée made from coconut water and young coconut, a granita made from aged coconut cream, a banana leaf parcel of rice flour dumpling filled with caramelised coconut and steamed in fresh coconut milk, and a chewy mochi-like noodle creating covered in grated coconut and topped with a syrup tapped from coconut flowers. You’ll find coconut in many of Thailand’s best-loved desserts, such as Khanom Sot Sai and Bua Loi. This builds on that tradition to create something fresh. 

My favourite dessert on the nahm menu is inspired by another of Thailand’s traditional treats: Khanom Bueang. I serve these as a duo of crispy, wafer-thin crêpes at both the start and end of a meal. Every bite is homemade, which is an important homage to the heritage of crafting a dessert. The savoury version, served at the start of a meal, is made from coconut ash with a prawn fat and fresh coconut filling. For the sweet version, served at the end of a meal, I make the crêpe with rice flour and fill it with sweet egg yolk threads and confit of Thai bitter orange. To my mind, there’s something really special about beginning and finishing with the same dish, but turned on its head. It’s unexpected and exciting. I can always tell which diners have chosen Khanom Bueang; there’s usually a lull in their conversations as heads nod and smiles spread. That’s the real beauty of a Thai dessert; there’s so much versatility in the making, and appreciation in the eating.

Whatever your preferences, our expert team at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok is on hand to help you plan your stay. Please feel free to get in touch with me for more information.