Minister of Culture Sabeeda Thaised expressed pride and satisfaction after learning that khanom khrok was ranked the number one Thai dessert in 2026 by the global food platform TasteAtlas.

The description by TasteAtlas captures the essence: “This small-sized Thai dessert, which is often referred to as a pancake, pudding, or a cake, is created with a batter that combines rice flour and coconut milk. The dessert is baked in large iron pans that have small, round indentations, and it is typically prepared in two stages—with a batter that is used as a crispy bottom layer, and a creamy, lightly sweetened coconut milk filling.

“Typical additions to the custard-like filling include sliced scallions, taro, corn, or pumpkin. Khanom khrok is a staple street food in Thailand, typically enjoyed as a quick and filling snack that balances sweet and savory flavors extremely well.”

Ms. Sabeeda asserted that the ranking of khanom khrok reflects the charms of this Thai dessert and why it is so attractive to people from various cultures worldwide. This local wisdom has been passed on from generation to generation.

She cited Thai desserts as living cultural heritage, because they are part of the Thai way of life and identity, which is able to communicate the story about Thailand through food flavors. Apart from khanom khrok, other Thai desserts on the list of the best Thai foods of 2026 include khao niao mamuang (mango sticky rice), khanom chan (steamed layer sweet cake), lot chong (green-colored noodles made from rice starch, served in sweetened coconut milk), kluai thot (deep-fried banana), and pa thong ko (Thai deep-fried dough).

Ms. Sabeeda said that the recognition of Thai desserts also reflects Thailand’s great potential for Thai food as one of its “soft power” items. The Ministry of Culture will take this opportunity to develop the soft power of Thai food in a systematic manner.

For instance, community entrepreneurs will be given support to develop branding and create more economic value by upgrading Thai desserts to a feature of economic culture. Thai desserts will also be featured at Thai cultural events and international festivals to reach global consumers.

Moreover, the Ministry of Culture will expand the network of "Thai Culinary Cultural Ambassadors” in order to share knowledge about Thai desserts with the international community. Digital content about Thai desserts will be produced in several languages through international online platforms, while Thai wisdom heritage will also be passed on to the younger generation, so that it will continue to flourish.