Thai Snacks – Sweet, Sour, and Fishy Tastes of Unique Treats

Thailand is among the most beautiful and must-visit places in the world. The country is famous for its stunning temples, profound nature, and breathtaking beaches, but not only that. Thailand is worldwide known for its mouthwatering cuisine. Thai snacks and desserts are a huge part of the confectionery culture and are pretty impressive. 

If you have ever been to Thailand, you will have a chance to taste their unique desserts and snacks. However, if not, no problem. You can buy their sweet treats all around the world. In this article, we will explore some of the most unique Thai snacks that you need to taste if you want to feel the sweet spirit of Thailand. 

Thai Snack Names

1. Crispy Seaweed Strips
2. Taro Fish Snack
3. Prawn Crackers
4. Crispy Rice Cookie
5. Crispy Peanuts
6. Thai Coconut Roll
7. Hot Chocolate Mochi Krunch
8. Zip Bomb
9. Mr. Squid Chips
10. Pineapple Cookies

A Brief History of Thai Snacks

“Khanom” is a Thai word that refers to a snack or dessert. The phrase is a combination of two words: “rice” and “sweet”. Thai snacks are famous for their attractive visual side and amazing taste too. Desserts have been a staple of the cuisine for centuries.

Thai snacks are mainly made from rice flour and coconut. Those products are native and are mostly farmed locally. So, all the ingredients for the sweets are fresh and straight from the farms. Thai desserts were also mentioned in the Traiphum Phra Ruang, which is a literary masterpiece of the 13th century. According to the sources, the locals used pots, pens, and firepits to make the traditional sweet treat. 

One of the most important periods in Thai Snacks history was when Marie Guimar, who was a foreigner, brought some exotic dessert recipes to the country. She was half Portuguese and half Japanese. She was living in the Kink Narai era. Because of her deeds, she was given the name of Thao Thong Kiama. 

Marie Guimare was serving in the palace and was in charge of the 2000 women in charge of households who worked there. She used her opportunity and taught the women how to cook. She especially shared the desserts and sweet recipes. Since then, the sweets that were taught and served by her have remained a significant part of the confectionery traditions in Thailand.

10 Most Famous Thai Snacks

Every country has treats that resemble their culture and nature. For example, Mexicans have snacks that are spicy, salty, and limy, and one of the main ingredients is chilly. Like in other countries, Thai people make amazing snacks using local products. If we observe the list, we will notice that there are a lot of squid and sea-food-based snacks in Thailand. Some Thai sweet snacks remind us of Italian confectionery and bakery products.

1. Crispy Seaweed Strips

Tae Kae Noi is Thailand’s largest seaweed manufacturer. The creator of the company came up with an idea to make the seaweed snack that is supposed to be eaten while on the go. The result was brilliant. Crispy seaweed strips are loved by many people in Thailand. The snack usually comes in various flavors, including the original style, seafood style, sriracha, and hot & spicy chilly pepper.

The thin fried seaweed strips are seasoned with palm oil, salt, and white pepper powder, as well as a few umami-boosting “flavor enhancers.” Unlike many seaweed snacks, the rough surface of these strips is coated in small bubbles, giving them crispiness that is as light as air.

2. Taro Fish Snack

Taro is a Thai snack manufacturing company that has been on the market since the 1980s. Soon after its appearance, the brand became one of the largest fish snack manufacturers. They have a product that is high quality and made with fresh ingredients. Today, they are manufacturers of three major products: fish strips, fish strip coated, and Fish Crispy. The brand’s products are made according to international health standards and have HACCO, GMP, and halal certifications.

Can you imagine why this fish snack tends to be so popular in Thailand? Well, surprisingly, it’s somehow related to Thai boxing – Muay Thai. The truth is that fish is a source of good fat, which leads to an increase in energy. As a result, Muay Thai athletes consider the Taro Fish snack as one of the best options during the fighting season.

Taro fish snacks are made from fresh white fish. Because of that, the snack is full of protein. Snacks are cut into long strips that have a cream color. The treat is tough and breaks when bitten. However, suddenly it turns incredibly chewy. The ingredients of the treat are mainly fish meat, which has a consistency of 77%. Additions are sugar, tapioca flour, and wheat flour.

3. Prawn Crackers

Prawn Crackers have been a famous Thai snack for decades. The treat is famous in Asian countries. The snack is mainly made from starch and prawns. The foundation of prawn crackers is a starch such as tapioca, with some shrimp added for taste. They are either deep-fried or roasted. Hanami Food Co. is the manufacturer of this mouthwatering treat. The brand has been on the market since 1976. 

The snack is crunchy and delicious. The smell of the shrimp outweighs the flavor, and they’re not as salty as you might imagine. Hanami’s rich and appealing crackers are available in a variety of flavors, including Hot Chili, Garlic and Pepper shrimp, Nori Seaweed, Shrimp Curry, and Seafood Chili Paste.

4. Crispy Rice Cookie

Crispy rice cookies are a sweet treat known in Thailand as krayasart, which is similar to peanut brittle but has a chewy texture. To make this delicious treat, puffed rice, whole peanuts, and sesame seeds are combined with coconut cream and sugar. Then it is given a flat, square shape. There are many variations on this particular treat, including the different ingredients and shapes. 

The snack is best enjoyed by tearing bite-sized pieces apart with your fingers. It’s traditionally made for the Sart Thai festival, which celebrates the fall harvest on the new moon of the tenth lunar month. This happens most often in September.

5. Crispy Peanuts

Crispy Peanuts are considered to be the most popular peanut Thai snacks. It is somehow similar to Mexican Cacahuates Japoneses. This particular version comes with the crackly batter outer shell with a peanut snuggled inside. This shell is thinner, and it’s covered in a tom yum-flavored powder that’s hotter than it is sour. 

Altogether, the perfect balance of tastes and flavors is created. The treat is mainly made of lime, coconut, chile, and sugar. The firm brags about the high quality of their peanuts, which are farmed with bio-fertilizer by local farmers.

6. Thai Coconut Roll

Famous Thai Snacks Coconut rolls can be compared to wafer rolls. They have tube-shaped cookies with a crispy texture. The snack is very crumbly to eat. The main ingredients for the coconut rolls are coconut milk, rice flour, sugar, eggs, and taro. However, it does not have a significant amount of sugar and therefore is not as sweet as regular wafer snacks. 

One of the most delicious versions of this Thai snack is manufactured by the Suthera company. The treat comes in nine different flavors, including the original flavor, cocoa, banana, Garlic & Pepper, Durian, Pandan, Strawberry, Purple Sweet Potato, Honey & Cinnamon, and Garlic & Peppers. 

7. Hot Chocolate Mochi Krunch

Hot chocolate mochi crunch is one of the most impressive Thai snacks. These are the crackers covered in dark chocolate. Crackers are mainly made from spicy tamari and brown rice. The pieces come in bite-size pieces. The treat has a very intense flavor that can be compared to the cocoa and caramel mix.

The treatment’s outer layer is sweet; however, when biting, the spiciness blends into the sweetness, and it all quickly creates the lingering smoky flavors. So, the candy can be described as more savory.

8. Zip Bomb

Zip Bombs are small Thai snacks and individual candies that are packaged in cute wrappers. Candies come with outer layers that have an intensely sour taste. After chewing for a while, the sourness fades away and the true delicious flavor bursts from the middle. The candy has a chewy center that also contains sour powder. Candy comes in various flavors, including blue raspberry, strawberry, green apple, and watermelon. 

9. Mr. Squid Chips

Mr. Squid Chips is a widely admired Thai snack manufactured by T.Thai Snack Foods Co., Ltd. The packaging reminds us of Pringles. The can contains strips of squid meat that have a flaky texture. They are a little darker than what is presented on the can. The strips are curled like tubes.

Chips have a crispy texture and a mild squid taste. However, as you eat, the flavors get more intense. There are different opinions about this particular snack; people either love it or hate it. 

10. Pineapple Cookies

Pineapple Cookies are one of the must-try Thai snacks. Cookies come in a flower shape, and they kind of resemble the Italian bakery. Cookies have a crumbly texture. Two cookies are stuck together like a sandwich and have pineapple jam in the middle. Together, the sweetness of the pineapple jam and the crumbly, soft cookies make a perfect balance. 

Bottom Line

Thai snacks are truly worthy of recognition. It is hard to choose from the countless variations of amazing treats that this culture offers. Many of the recipes are authentic, but many are also influenced by other cultures. However, these people managed to create some unique tastes that truly are awe-spiring.

Which Thai snacks would you like to taste? Is there any that you have tasted? Share your experience in the comments section.