Mango sticky rice

Mango sticky rice is a traditional Southeast Asian and South Asian dessert made with glutinous rice, fresh mango and coconut milk, and eaten with a spoon or the hands.^[1]

Mango sticky rice

Mango sticky rice
Course	Dessert
Region or state	Southeast Asia and South Asia
Associated cuisine	Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Lao, Northeast Indian, Filipino, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese
Main ingredients	Sticky rice, mango, coconut milk
Media: Mango sticky rice

In 2024, TasteAtlas ranks mango sticky rice as the second best rice pudding in the world.^[2]

Preparation

Usually desserts involving sticky rice are sweetened with palm sugar or jaggery combined with coconut milk and coconut flakes, wrapped in banana leaf, then steamed or stuffed in bamboo and roasted on an open fire such as sticky rice in bamboo.^[3] The main ingredients needed are sticky rice (glutinous rice), canned or fresh coconut milk, salt, palm sugar and mangoes.

To prepare the dish, the rice is soaked in water and then cooked by steaming or the use of a rice cooker. Meanwhile, the coconut milk is mixed with salt and sugar then heated without boiling. After the rice is finished cooking, the coconut milk mixture and the rice are mixed together evenly and allowed to sit to allow the milk to absorb into the rice. The mangoes are peeled and sliced. To serve the dish, the rice is scooped onto a plate, a few mango slices are placed on top or to the side, and the remaining coconut milk is drizzled on top. Sometimes, the sticky rice is topped with crispy yellow mung beans.^[4]

Mostly, yellow mango is used which has a sweeter taste than green mango. Traditionally, the Nam Dok Mai (flower nectar mango) and ok-rong varieties of mango are used.^[5] Glutinous sticky rice, which is sweeter than the normal sticky rice, is used for the best texture.^[4]

Variations

These are variations to the classic mango sticky rice, such as substituting white sticky rice with black sticky rice, imparting a purple color.^[6]

 

Mango sticky rice served in the food court of Central Pattaya in Pattaya, Thailand

In Thailand

Khao niao mamuang (Thai: ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง), which translates to Mango sticky rice, is a traditional Thai dessert that typically consists of sticky rice cooked with coconut milk and served with fresh sliced mangoes on top.^[7] Optional toppings for mango sticky rice include roasted mung beans and toasted sesame seeds, which can be sprinkled on top for added crunch and flavor.^[8] In Central Thailand, coconut milk is a primary ingredient due to the abundance of coconut trees in these regions.^[9][10] However, in the colder Northern region, where it can be challenging to obtain fresh coconuts, the use of coconut milk less common.^[9] Khao niao moon,^[11] a glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk, is commonly used in Central Thailand for desserts like mango sticky rice, while in Northern and Northeastern Thailand, plain sticky rice is more commonly used as a staple food and eaten with one's hands, without the addition of coconut.^[12][13]

The exact origin of mango sticky rice in Thailand it is believed to date back to the late Ayutthaya period. A verse from that era describes a fondness for sweet dishes, including a mention of Ok Rong Mango, which is a cultivar native to Thailand.^[14] During King Chulalongkorn's reign, khao niao moon was consumed alongside ripe mango.^[15] Although mango sticky rice is said to have originated in Thailand,^{[16][17][additional citation(s) needed]} it has spread to many other Southeast and South Asian countries.^[17]

Mango sticky rice is a common street food in Thailand and is considered an attractive factor by foreigner tourists for travelling in Thailand.^[18] It is usually eaten during the peak mango season of April and May.^[19] Common sweet mango cultivars, such as Nam Dok Mai or Ok rong, are combined with glutinous rice sweetened with coconut milk, and served warm.^[19]

In Laos

Mango sticky rice is a common dessert of the Lao people of the Greater Mekong Sub-region^{[citation needed]} where glutinous rice has been cultivated over the history of food and myths.^[20][21] Sticky or glutinous rice is a Laos national dish connected to the culture and religious traditions.^[22][23][24] In mango-ripening season, sticky rice garnished with sweetened coconut milk and dry roasted sesame seeds is served with ripe mango pieces. Sticky rice may be served plain with only mango and no trimmings.^[25]

In the Philippines

A sticky rice snack cooked in coconut milk and sometimes ginger, called puto maya, is a favorite among the Visayan people. It is served with sweet ripe mangoes (if in season) and a hot chocolate.^[26][27] In Cagayan de Oro, a violet variety of sticky rice is used.^[28]

See also

• Black beans sticky rice

References

1. "What Is Mango Sticky Rice?". wiseGEEK. from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
2. ""ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง" ติดอันดับ 2 เมนูพุดดิ้งข้าวดีที่สุดในโลก". Thai PBS (in Thai). 2024-04-24. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
3. The Foreign Missionary. Mission House. 1876. from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
4. "Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe". Mark Wiens. 6 July 2016. from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
5. "สนามข่าวชวนกิน : พาไปชิม! ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง ป้าใหญ่ ป้าเล็ก". Channel 7 (in Thai). 2018-03-10. from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
6. "Coconut Milk Sticky Rice with Mangoes". Epicurious.com. 16 May 2006. from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
7. Schmidt, Darlene (June 30, 2022). "Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert (Khao Niaow Ma Muang)". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
8. "Thai Mango Sticky Rice". Takes Two Eggs. 2021-07-07. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
9. Morla, Carla (February 6, 2019). "Thai cuisine beyond the coconut: Andrzej's Northen Thai feast in Manhattan". Eatwith. Retrieved April 20, 2023. In Central Thailand, coconut milk is a staple ingredient. But in Northern Thailand, the landscape is mountainous and forested. Coconut trees don't grow in the region and the dishes are characterized as more plant-based and earthy.
10. Sunpapao, Anurag; Suwannarach, Naritsada; Kumla, Jaturong; Dumhai, Rungtiwa; Phookamsak, Rungtiwa (2022). "Morphological and molecular identification of plant pathogenic fungi associated with dirty panicle disease in coconuts (Cocos nucifera) in Thailand". Journal of Fungi. 8 (4): 335. doi:10.3390/jof8040335. PMC 9029170. PMID 35448566.
11. "Thai Desserts in Each Region of Thailand". Love Thailand. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
12. "Why Sticky Rice Reigns In The North Of Thailand - MICHELIN Guide". MICHELIN Guide. June 5, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
13. Herzfeld, Michael (2011). "The Politics of the Thai Table: Food, Manners, Values" (PDF). Education About Asia. 16 (3): 46–48.
14. "ย้อนรอยที่มา 'ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง' ขนมหวานเลื่องชื่อของไทย" (in Thai). ช่อง 8. 17 April 2022.
15. "ร้านอาหาร-เพจดัง รับกระแส 'ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง' เผย สมัยร.2 เรียก 'ข้าวเหนียวใส่สีโศก'". มติชน.
16. Hong-Jun, Chena; Shao-Yu, Chena; Puttongsirib, Tongchai; Pinsirodomb, Praphan; Changa, Yi-Huang; Chih, Cheng (22 March 2018). "production of low calories sticky rice with coconut milk".
17. "Mango Sticky Rice: This Classic Thai Dessert Screams Summer (Recipe Inside)". NDTV Food. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
18. Sudjaroen, Yuttana; Petcharaporn, Kanyapat (2021). "Identity and Competitiveness of Thai Street Food Located In Travelling Area of Bangkok". Review of International Geographical Education Online. 11 (7): 4181–4186. doi:10.48047/rigeo.11.07.385 (inactive 31 January 2024). ISSN 2146-0353. from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)
19. "Mango sticky rice". Taste of Thailand. 2020. from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
20. Epstein, Steven (1993). Xieng Mieng: cleverest man in the Kingdom, a Lao tale retold by Steve Epstein; illustrated by Anoulom Souvandoune. Vientiane Times. from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
21. Sasson, Vanessa R. (2013). Little Buddhas: Children and Childhoods in Buddhist Texts and Traditions. OUP USA. ISBN 978-0-19-994561-0. from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
22. "A Taste of Sticky Rice, Laos' National Dish". Smithsonian Magazine. from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
23. "Laos at the crossroads". grain.org. from the original on 2021-07-17. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
24. "Rice Landscape Analysis - Feasibility of and opportunities for rice fortification in the Lao People's Democratic Republic | World Food Programme". www.wfp.org. January 2017. from the original on 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
25. Culloty, Dorothy (2010). Food from northern Laos: The boat landing cookbook (PDF). Galangal Press. p. 173. (PDF) from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
26. Dizon, Erika (August 16, 2017). "Ever Wonder Why Puto Bumbong Is Violet? (It's Not Ube)". Spot.ph. from the original on October 2, 2021.
27. Fernandez, Raymund (December 27, 2013). "Puto maya". Inquirer.net. from the original on October 2, 2021.
28. Fenix, Micky (August 26, 2015). "'Puto maya,' 'sikwate,' 'bahal,' 'guinamos'–indigenous finds in a Cagayan de Oro market". Inquirer Lifestyle. from the original on October 2, 2021.