What am amazing trip to Thailand!
Glad to be back home (a big jet lagged!) but I enjoyed every single minute in Asia. Especially those elephants….seriously…SO big, yet so gentle and sweet.
Besides these big creatures…what I liked best about Thailand….the food! Serious yumminess. Fresh fruits and veggies galore!! A dietitian’s dream.
I am a fan of coconut…and Thailand did NOT disappoint!
Now that I am back home…I am back in my kitchen…happily in one of my favorite places on earth!
So, I decided to cook up a traditional Thai dish, Mango Sticky Rice…sans mango for my FODMAPers! I popped a few pieces of fresh naval orange on the rice pudding instead. This dessert takes some time to create…but to me, it’s worth it.
I adapted my recipe, from this recipe found here on Epicurious.
I followed the recipe but deleted the mango and reduced the sugar in the first coconut milk mixture that is added directly to the rice… instead of 1/3 cup cup sugar, I added just 2 tablespoons. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. The recipe calls for sweet rice or glutinous rice (there is no gluten in glutinous rice–the word is added as the rice has a sticky or glue like consistency to it.) This is a fun recipe that can be made in advanced and chilled.
A few highlights from our Thailand trip:
- Patara Elephant Farm: Russ and I did a 1/2 day visit which we found was plenty of time to enjoy the elephants, learn more about them and their habitat. Patara is known to treat the elephants humanely. Click here for their site.
- Tribal crafts: Russ and I enjoyed the night bazaar in Chiang Mai and found some really cool local crafts–very inexpensive scarves, coin purses and festive pom pom key chains. Check my instagram feed as I will be doing a little give-a-way soon!
- Coconut everything: coconut water, candy, rice, and sorbet. The sorbet was made of coconut milk and fresh coconut flesh….a-m-a-z-i-n-g!
- Gracious and kind people.
- Thai massages–so inexpensive and so relaxing. Russ and I actually fell asleep during our massages!
- Koh Samui–especially our hotel. We upgraded to a villa and it was well worth the extra money. It was the most beautiful hotel room I have ever stayed at…with our own little pool, 4 posted bed with canopy netting and a wall size glass wall looking out on a private garden with a water fountain and pond. The food at the morning buffet included SO many low FODMAP options too! Yay!
And for the animal lovers….here are a few elephant pics for you!
Russ and I getting sprayed by these big elephants!
And me…just lovin’ up and feeding my elephant for the day named Mah-deet.
This little guy is about 18 years old and the dad of two little cute elephants. We rode the elephants bare back up to their farm. What an amazing experience.
Stay safe in you live in New England with all this crazy snow …grateful I missed that last two storms while I was away! And… give this sticky rice a whirl…if you like coconut, you’ll like it! MMmmmmmm….
Anne marie
Your trip sounds amazing ! Thanks for sharing your experiences and recipes Quick question about your sticky rice recipe which I am dying to try. I have read that coconut milk is high in FODMAPS though. Thoughts ?
katescarlata
Anne Marie, Old data had coconut milk as a source of excess fructose. But…newer info from Monash U allows up to 1/2 cup per serving. YUM!
Roberta Karp
The last time I ate oatmeal I became very ill. I thought it was a low fodmap. Have you heard of this reaction.
Roberta
Bonnie
Is fresh coconut ok to eat on this diet? How much in one sitting? Thank you!
katescarlata
Bonnie, I would assume that fresh coconut would be okay–but I have not seen data for it.