From World Heritage Site to Roti Sai Mai

Among the first things that come to mind when talking about Ayutthaya, and perhaps equally as famous as Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is roti sai mai.

This famous dessert is a sweet wrap with a soft and very fine sugar thread filling. It became known worldwide after Lalisa Manoban, aka Lisa Blackpink, posted a video on her IG last year, preparing and theneating this sweet snack. And in more proof of its delectable delights, it was even was featured in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2023 edition.

Roti sai mai is found everywhere in and around Ayutthaya. As soon as you spot lines of stalls on the roadside on the drive along the highway north of Bangkok, you know that Ayutthaya is just a few minutes away.

Pa Wan, a roti sai mai vendor, smiled broadly when a visitor picked up a mobile phone and asked if she can take a picture of Pa Wan making the roti wrap and her cousin making the sai mai.

“Making roti is easy,” she said. Of course, it is easy for someone who has been doing this for a living for more than 30 years, but what about for someone with no experience?

“It took a few days to learn and make good roti but a lot of patience,” she said, moving her hands quickly to dab the pale green dough on a hot flat pan. The dough cooks for a few seconds before being removed from the hot pan and transferred to an aluminium tray. The pile of cooked dough quickly grows, ready to be packed and sold.

Next to her is another station where her young cousin boils the sugar mixture on a stove. When the mixture was ready, the entire pot is put in a bigger pot of cold water. After cooling a little, the caramelized mixture is poured onto a big aluminium tray and stretched again and again until it becomes soft floss. This is a heavy task that visitors find fascinating.

Legend has it that 60 years, this dessert was invented by a Muslim man known as Bang Pia, Salem Saengarun.

Roti is a traditional food of people both of Muslims and of people with Indian ancestors. But that kind of roti is thicker, more like bread. Chinese descendants also have a similar but much thinner roti that is used to make spring rolls.

According to the story, Bang Pia originally sold other sweets that required thick caramel. Sometimes, the caramel leftovers were too hard and he had to warm them. That’s when he started to explore a new technique – stretching. The result was this amazing soft floss. Instead of eating it with thick roti, he adapted the thin Chinese roti style. Impressed with his new invention, he sold it to his customers and roti sai mai became an instant hit.

The original roti sai mai is a thin white wrap with light brown floss. As the dessert became more famous, sellers modified the snack by adding new flavours and colours. Sai mai today range from the original light brown colour to pandan green, strawberry pink, blueberry purple, and durian yellow.

Nowadays, roti sai mai is a famous souvenir of Ayutthaya. It is sold everywhere, especially at tourist places like the Historical Park, temples and markets.

“Most of our customers are visitors,” said another seller. “A local customer buys a small set but visitors buy several sets at a time to take home for their friends and family.”

One visitor who can’t resist this sweet treat says that although all roti sai mai look similar, some are really different. A good roti dough should not be too thick or too thin, and the thicker one with a stretchy texture is more delicious. The sugar floss is very important. If it’s very fine, it will be soft and delicious. If it’s not fine and soft enough, it is not so pleasant when chewing.

As this long weekend winds up, a stop in Ayutthaya on the way back to Bangkok to eat some roti sai mai would be a great way of freshening up after a long journey. It makes a good souvenir for friends and family too.

By Thai PBS World