Luk Chup — Small fruits, big art. They glisten like tiny cherries, mangoes, or chilies. But these miniature fruits and vegetables are actually candy.
You have to look twice when a shop offers Luk Chup: Is it plastic? Porcelain? Or edible? The brightly colored, shiny sweets look almost too beautiful to bite into. But it would be a shame to use them only as decoration: They are made of creamy mung bean paste.
I first discovered Luk Chup in 2019. At the time, I was visiting Koh Kret, a small island in the Chao Phraya River, 20 kilometers north of Bangkok. Its weekly market is famous: hundreds of stalls selling food and goods line a five-kilometer circular route. One stall offered trays full of tiny oranges, pears, and eggplants.
The brightly colored, shiny candies look almost too beautiful to bite into.
To make this, mung beans are steamed and then puréed with sugar, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt. This mixture is simmered over low heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes smooth and malleable—almost like modeling clay.
If you're thinking of marzipan fruits, you're right: During the Ayutthaya period (1351 to 1767), Portuguese traders brought the marzipan recipe to Thailand. At that time, the country was still called Siam, and Ayutthaya was a bustling metropolis with an international population. One European visitor called it «the metropolis of the whole world».
If you're thinking of marzipan fruit, you're right: Portuguese traders brought the marzipan recipe to Thailand during the Ayutthaya period.
But almonds, the basis for marzipan, were not available there. The solution: mung beans. According to legend, it was Thao Thong Kip Ma, a famous cook, who adapted the recipe. She ran the royal kitchen for over 25 years and created numerous Portuguese-Thai dishes. Her nickname: Queen of Thai Desserts.
Today, anyone can buy Luk Chup. In the past, this elaborate candy was reserved for the royal family. To make the miniatures look like real fruit and vegetables, they are painted with food coloring and then dipped in a glaze.
Today, anyone can buy Luk Chup—in the past, this elaborate sweet was reserved for the royal family.
For the glaze, agar-agar, a plant-based gelling agent, is dissolved in water. Gelatin is also sometimes used. «Luk» means «small piece», while «chup» means «to coat» or «to dip». This is how the miniatures get their high gloss finish.
The colorful desserts are a popular gift and are considered lucky charms—for birthdays or New Year's, for example. Customers can choose them themselves with tongs and often take more than they had planned.
Keep on tasting ...
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Helmut Haase
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