Foi Thong - Golden Threads

ฝอยทอง foi tong

It is not often that I get a chance to see Thai desserts being made in person. So, I was particularly thrilled at the weekend to see some demonstrations of how to make a few of my favourite Thai sweets. The one I want to show you today is called Golden Threads, or foi thong in Thai. It is not strictly speaking a Thai dessert as it was believed to have been introduced by the Portuguese over 400 years ago. However, the Thai have made it their own now. The basic ingredient is egg yolk which is gently cooked in a syrup of water and sugar.

It all looks quite easy to make but I am sure you need to practice a lot to get it just right. First the eggs are separated and then the yolks are beaten in a bowl. This is then placed in the refrigerator until it is needed. A syrup is then made with a mixture of sugar and perfumed water. This is done in a large wok. The egg yolks are then put into a funnel with two small holes at the bottom. This is then swung above the wok in a circular motion.

As soon as the egg yolk hits the hot syrup it starts to cook. It only takes about 1 minute before it is ready. The lady then used a knife to cut the strands in four places. She then used what looked like knitting needles to collect these threads. She then dipped them into another syrup solution which gave it a gleam and then placed it on the tray. A very interesting dessert indeed.