Visitors come from far and wide to see the ruins of the once-great city of Ayutthaya. Destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century, Ayutthaya now serves as a historic park in Thailand. The towers and monasteries that remain, along with a singular Buddha head entwined in a Bodhi tree, offer an inkling of the splendor that once was.
Just outside the park, vendors whip up candy floss crepes. They spread gooey, green dough across the hot griddle by hand, then flip each crepe into a pile using a spatula. Called roti sai mai, these rolled sweets feature threads of crunchy sugar enshrouded in a steaming, pandan-scented crepe. Kids, drawn to the its dreamy colors, are often seen walking around with the portable snack in hand.
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Sources
- theculinarychase.com/2007/09/cotton-candy-roti-saimai-thai-style/
- www.sirinyas-thailand.de/2015/02/09/roti-sai-mai-a-sweet-speciality-from-ayutthaya/
- www.paticheri.com/2016/11/30/street-food-chronicles-roti-sai-mai-in-ayutthaya/
- www.cookingandme.com/2010/09/06/roti-sai-mai-thai-cotton-candy-in/
- www.thaizer.com/tourist-attractions/buddha-head-in-tree-roots-wat-mahathat-ayutthaya/
- whc.unesco.org/en/list/576
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