Sticky situation: Thailand mango rice loses top rank in poll

Thailand’s popular mango sticky rice has been snubbed from the top spot in a recent ranking of 26 mango-based dishes by TasteAtlas, the online culinary database.

The cherished Thai dessert dish, famed for its comforting blend of glutinous rice, sweetened coconut milk, and fresh mango slices, secured the second spot, sparking national pride but also a tinge of disappointment.

TasteAtlas praises this traditional dessert as a quintessential way to conclude a meal.

“The dish is prepared with glutinous rice, which is first steamed, then doused in sweetened coconut milk. Lastly, the rice is served with slices of fresh mango.”

This humble yet delightful treat can be found in virtually every eatery across Thailand, making it a staple of Thai cuisine.

Surprisingly, the top honour went to aamras, a decadent dessert from Maharashtra, India. This silky mango purée, typically enjoyed with bread, edged out mango sticky rice for the number one position. Following close behind in third place were the tantalising mango ice cream sorbets from the Philippines, with Indonesia’s rujak, a spicy fruit salad, and India’s versatile mango chutney rounding out the top five.

The list also featured several other Thai mango delicacies. The snack green mango with sweet fish sauce claimed the 10th spot. The zesty green mango salad landed at 11th while nam pla wan dip, a sweetened fish sauce condiment, took 16th place. Thai pickled mango, known as mamuang dong, was ranked 23rd.

TasteAtlas previously stirred controversy in April when it branded kaeng tai pla, a traditional southern Thai curry, as the worst dish in the world. The dish, known for its pungent aroma and flavourful mix of fermented fish entrails, chilli peppers, galangal, shrimp paste, turmeric, shallots, and lemongrass, was described as a thick and aromatic fish curry.

This rating outraged many Thais, who consider it a regional delicacy, reported Thai PBS World.