BANGKOK (CNN): There are said to be more than 200 types of mangoes grown in Thailand. But when it comes to creating one of the country’s most beloved desserts, khao nieow mamuang, connoisseurs say few varieties will do. Better known to the rest of the world as mango sticky rice, it’s a deceptively simple dish.
Slices of sweet, ripe mango are set next to a mound of glutinous rice that’s topped with a coconut-based cream sauce and a light sprinkling of yellow mung beans. If done right, the result is pure magic, the perfect balance of flavors and textures. And few have perfected that balance as well as 63-year-old Varee Jeensuwan, the undeniable queen of mango sticky rice in Bangkok.
Her shop in Bangkok’s busy downtown Thonglor neighborhood, Mae Varee, has been operating since 1981. “The best dessert during summertime in Thailand is mango and sticky rice,” she tells CNN. “From March to May is the best time of the year to have it – the mangoes will be naturally sweet and abundant, the price is low.
The sticky rice is aromatic due to its freshness.” Thailand’s nam dok mai (water of the flower) mangoes are the most popular variety for the dish, as they possess a sweet flavor and smooth texture. Varee says some of the best nam dok mai mangoes are found in Chacheonseo province’s Bangkhla district.
Another popular variety used in mango sticky rice is Oak Rong, which she says has to come from Damnoen Saduak district in Ratchaburi province. “It is difficult to fi.
