The perfect Thai breakfast sweet – khao neow dam sang kaya (ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา)

By Mark Wiens Bangkok
The perfect Thai breakfast sweet – khao neow dam sang kaya (ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา)
ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา

khao neow dam sang kaya ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา

I wouldn’t call myself a diehard fan of desserts. I do enjoy the occasional sweet treat, but much of the time I prefer to fill the entirety of my stomach space with the main meal.

But every now and then, Thailand brings forth a dessert that’s simply too tempting to pass up (in my case, most of the time that temptation comes in the form of khao neow durian – probably my favorite dessert ever created).

Silom Soi 20

Silom Soi 20

She operates in the morning, vending her sweet sticky rice from a standard metal tub. People hover around her like vultures on Silom Soi 20, ordering their sweet fixation to get them through the day.

Sweet black sticky rice

Sweet black sticky rice

So what is khao neow dam sang kaya (ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา)?

The first and foundational ingredient is black sticky rice. Each and every grain of the sweetened rice is like an individual morsel, almost like a kernel of corn that’s bathed in a light syrup.

The sang kaya part is a sweet creamy slice of custard. This vendor goes the extra mile and adds a splash of coconut cream in between the sticky rice and custard. The ingredients are compiled on a piece of banana leaf and folded into a sweet little package.

ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา

Black sticky rice and custard ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา

Her version has the edge on any other khao neow dam sang kaya (ข้าวเหนียวดำสังขยา) variation I’ve sampled in Bangkok.

The slightly crunchy grains of rice paired with just a little nibble of the custard and that light coconut cream was simply a magical little breakfast dessert treat!

How to get there

Address:

Silom Soi 20, Bangkok, Thailand
Morning Market – She sells probably from 7 am – 9 am – and sells out! I got there at about 8 am.

Located right across the street from Wat Khaek (also known as Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu Temple)

View Silom Soi 20 in a larger map

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