Mango and Sticky Rice

A visit to Bangkok would not be complete without eating the ubiquitous dessert (khao niao mamuang) mango and sticky rice. The combination of sweet juicy mango and slightly salty coconut sticky rice makes this one of the most famous desserts in Bangkok. First the sticky rice is presoaked in water to hydrate the grains and then it is steamed and mixed with sweetened coconut cream which has been infused with pandan leaves. Ok Rong and Nam Dokmai are the two types of mango served in this dessert. Both are delicious except Ok Rong is smaller in size and the flesh is sweeter than Nam Dokmai. The varietal that is most widely sold with mango sticky rice is Nam Dokmai. Extra coconut cream and fried mung beans top off this incredible pairing. This dessert is so popular that you can find it almost everywhere from restaurants to food courts and supermarkets. Lucky me, my parent's house in Bangkok is situated near two well known places for this popular dessert and many locals have given me their opinion as to which one they think is the better one. I decided to try them both to satisfy my own curiosity.

The first place I went to was Mae Varee. This store has been around for over 30 years. It is located on 1 Soi Thong Lor, Sukhumvit Soi 55.

The store front sells fresh mangoes and some Thai desserts. They also offer pandan flavored sticky rice and black sticky rice.

The coconut rice is made fresh daily and they sell containers of sticky rice with mango for take away.

The second place that I went to is called Ning's Mango Stand but it is known mainly as Soi 38 mango and sticky rice. It is a food stall located at the front of an indoor food court on Soi 38.

You can only purchase mangos and sticky rice but Ning's Mango Stand offers different sizes. You can eat it there or purchase to take away.

After tasting the two mango and sticky rice desserts, I have to say the difference in the rice is indiscernible. The rice in both locations are sweetened perfectly, with a slightly chewy texture and a rich coconut flavor. The only difference in taste is the extra coconut cream that is used to ladle on top of the sticky rice. Mae Varee has a saltier taste than Soi 38. To get to both of these shops, take the BTS station to Thong Lor. Mae Varee is exit 3 and the other is exit 4. Mae Varee charges 150 baht for a container of mango and sticky rice. Soi 38 charges 120 baht. Mae Varee is open from 6am-10pm and Ning's mango stand opens at 5pm.

After eating from both places, I would give a slight edge towards Mae Varee's because I thought the saltier coconut cream helped balance the sweetness of the rice and the mango. I would be interested to hear from the Steemit community if anyone has tried the places I have mentioned and which did you prefer? I am always on a lookout for other khao niao mamuang place to try. If you have any other suggestions please let me know and thank you for visiting my page.