Roti Sai Mai, what is it and where to get it?

Thanks to Blackpink’s Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban and her massive selling power, Roti Sai Mai is now trending globally. After the K-Pop superstar posted a video on her Instagram account showing her rolling up one of the snacks, fans raced out to buy it. Sellers outside the Ayutthaya Hospital even reported that customer numbers spiked overnight. But what is Roti Sai Mai? And where can you get it? Here’s everything you need to know about the delicious sweet treat.

What is Roti Sai Mai?

​Roti Sai Mai (โรตีสายไหม) is a colourful and sweet Thai dessert with an Indian influence. Originating from Ayutthaya, the snack has become part of the city’s identity. So much so that a visit to the ancient capital of Thailand is incomplete without trying this sweet snack or taking some home as gifts.

This sweet snack basically consists of two parts: paper-thin, pan-fried flour crepes (Roti) and colourful Thai-style cotton candy (SaiMai). The original Roti tastes of flour and egg, but many sellers also offer additional flavours like Pandan and Banana. On the other hand, the Sai Mai is made of sugar cane and various pigments. It’s extremely sweet and melts in your mouth easily.

How do you eat it?

The fun part of eating this sweet snack is rolling it up. First, place the colourful cotton candy over the Roti and wrap them together to make a perfect combination. Then take a bite and enjoy the fine sugary threads that melt in your mouth!

Where can you buy Roti Sai Mai?

You can buy Roti Sai Mai in many shops in Ayutthaya. You can usually see the process of making the dessert in the shops. Some shop owners also love giving everyone a sample to taste for free. Typically, it’s sold in sets for 30 Baht, 50 Baht, and 100 Baht. The 30 Baht set usually consists of 10 pieces of thin Roti.

Creating the fine sugary threads requires many years of experience and special skills, so it’s fascinating to watch and will make you appreciate and enjoy the sweet dessert even more. The makers typically use two large wooden pins for looping hot spun sugar over and over. However, some makers use their bare hands to make it even though the sugar and pan are extremely hot.

Shops selling Roti Sai Mai outside of Ayutthaya are not as abundant. However, you can still find them in many places, typically in shops at the markets or nearby tourist attractions. In Bangkok, you can find this sweet snack in the area around Victory Monument or be lucky enough to come across some vendors in the local markets.

So, if you come across a shop selling Roti Sai Mai, be sure to taste this sweet and soft snack!

Also, why not travel to Ayutthaya while you’re at it? Click HERE to check out our article on 10 amazing things to do in Ayutthaya.