According Taste Atlas the humble patongko, the deep fried twin dough sticks served for breakfast or late night snack across Thailand, has made it onto the list of top street desserts in the world.
Social media has been doing its thing and making the rounds in Thailand, generating a huge amount of feedback and comments on the listing. According to the TasteAtlas, Thai iced tea has also made it on the list of top ten non alcoholic beverages (ranked 7th) in the world.
Here in Chiang Mai we can take great pride in the fact that our beloved khao soy ranked number one as the best soup in the world, according to reader voting.
CityNews decided to visit famous local patongko shop at Ton Lamyai Market, famous for making the dough into animal shapes, even dinosaurs.
“I am so happy and proud that patongko is recognised around the world,” said Saengthong Mahabraham, 56, owner of the shop. “My shop has been selling patongko for 44 years. Ten years ago I took my son to the zoo and he wanted a baby crocodile. I wasn’t able to allow him to have one, so as a consolation prize I made a patongko into the shape of a crocodile. He loved it as did his friends and so i began t get creative and make different animal shapes. People are enjoying it.:
If you have never tried patongko, visit most markets in Thailand from dusk til dawn and you will find a street stall selling them. You can dip them into pandan custard or condense milk and wash it down with sweet hot soy milk…delicious.
