Mae Mali’s sweet- The Creative Legacy of Thao Thong Kip Ma

When it comes to traditional Thai desserts—delicate, intricately crafted, and rich in flavor and meaning—one remarkable historical figure stands out: Thao Thong Kip Ma, also affectionately known as “Mae Mali”. A woman of Portuguese-Bengali-Japanese descent, she played a pivotal role in the royal court during the late Ayutthaya period.

Her real name was Maria Guyomar de Pinha, and she was the wife of Constantine Phaulkon, a Greek nobleman who rose to prominence during the reign of King Narai the Great. Maria’s life was filled with dramatic turns—from influence and luxury to hardship and loss—but her most enduring contribution was cultural: the culinary legacy she left behind, which became an essential part of Thai identity.

Appointed as Chief of the Royal Kitchen’s Dessert Division (หัวหน้าห้องเครื่องต้นวิเสท), Maria introduced and refined numerous Thai desserts influenced by Portuguese confectionery. Some of her creations include Thong Yip (pinched gold), Thong Yod (gold drops), Foi Thong (golden threads), Khanom Phing, Sangkaya (Thai custard), and Luk Chup (miniature fruit-shaped mung bean sweets). These were made by blending European techniques with local Thai ingredients, particularly egg yolk and coconut milk.

Although some historians argue that Portuguese sweets had already been present in Siam long before Maria’s time, what distinguishes her legacy is her systematic adaptation, innovation, and most importantly, her transmission of this culinary art to Thai women within the royal court. Her teachings became widely known and have been passed down through generations, earning her the title “Queen of Thai Desserts.”