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Cute Thai Mung Bean Fruit Dessert @ Baan Luk Chup บ้านลูกชุบ (สาขาอรุณอมรินทร์)
When in Thailand, we all have seen this way too cute mung bean snack / dessert / candy that look like real fruits. They are known as kanom luk chup or "lovely" which they absolutely are ♥️
During my recent trip to Bangkok, my local buddies brought me to visit their favourite kanom luk chup shop. We went to Baan Luk Chup's Arun Amarin branch.
The shop facade is simple but bold.
Inside Baan Luk Chup, it was like a modern cake shop. Very clean, bright, and cool, well shielded from Bangkok's blistering heat, stifling humidity and dusty traffic grime.
But, there were no pastries or cakes at Baan Luk Chup, Only Fruits 🍒🍌
Luk chup is a popular Thai food icon but it used to be only made in the palace kitchen and only royalty had the privilege to enjoy them.
The colourful sweet dessert has a long history.
Luk chup is said to be derived from the Portuguese massapao (marzipan) which Portuguese traders first brought to Ayutthaya in 1511. Portuguese massapao is made with almond paste, egg white and sugar whereas the Thai derivative is made with mung bean paste, coconut milk, sugar and agar agar solution.
Snippet from Thai drama series Love Destiny. Susira Naenna played the role of Maria Guyomar
Luk chup is also attributed to Maria Guyomar de Pinha, who was the master chef in charge of desserts of the royal kitchen of Ayutthaya.
Maria Guyomar de Pinha born in Ayuthaya, was of mixed Portuguese-Bengali-Japanese descent. Her father was from Portuguese Goa (India) and she married Constantine Phaulkon, a Greek who became the chief minister of King Narai (reign 1656 - 1688).
Maria Guyomar's husband was killed in a palace coup in 1688. She was captured and forced to serve in the royal kitchen of her family's enemy, King Phetracha (reign 1688 - 1703).
She was freed upon King Phetracha's death in 1703, but continued serving in the royal kitchen, rising to master chef before her death in 1728 at the age of 64.
Today, luk chup is a Thai food icon that is enjoyed by young and young at heart, locals and visitors.
Luk chuk comes in many different designs but the traditional motifs are fruits such as melons, mangosteen, cherry, mango, etc.
They all look different but all taste the same, with sweet soft mung bean paste inside enveloped by a thin, transparent jelly outside (not so thin in this example 😄 ).
I have always been curious about luk chup and today I was given the opportunity to find out more.
The mung bean paste is made by boiling mung beans and sugar with coconut milk.
The mung bean paste is then hand shaped into various designs. The mung bean paste "fruits" are next hand coloured with natural edible food dyes.
The final step is to dip and coat the "fruit" in agar agar (seaweed) solution which gives it a thin, transparent, slightly gleaming layer outside.
So, making luk chup is an art and artisanal craft involving a lot of manual work.
In the past, luk chup were only fruits.
Today, there are many creative, attractive designs limited only by the imagination of the chef.
Irresistibly lovely luk chup.
Ai yoyo, how to have the heart to chew off and swallow this cutie lah 😅
Next time you are in Thailand, enjoy some luk chup and bring some back for the young and young at heart at home.
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