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 Unrolledroti sai mai on a plate | |
| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Thailand |
| Region or state | Southeast Asia |
Roti sai mai (Thai:โรตีสายไหม,pronounced[rōː.tīː.sǎːj.mǎj];sai mai meaning 'silk thread'[1]) is aSoutheast Asian dessert fromThailand.Roti sai mai is an Indian Muslim-influenced dessert served by wrappingcotton candy in sweetroti.
The rolling floss or cotton candy is thin, silky strings ofspun sugar, found in a variety of hues. The roti (flatbread) is very thin and made from white or colored flour; green flour colored usingpandan leaves.Sesame is often sprinkled on the top.
The recipe was initially brought to theAyutthaya Kingdom byIndian Muslim traders, who produced and marketed the sweet among communities. The tasty dessert was commonly sold at roadside booths in both the city and the countryside.
In the 1980s and 1990s, "coin-operated"roti sai mai could be found in markets. These sellers had small bicycles equipped with coin boxes on the backs. Customers would drop a 10baht coin through the slot, and a rotating dial would spin, cycling through the numbers 3–7. The number the dial ended on was the number of pieces ofroti sai mai the customer would get. This popular marketing gimmick allowed customers to "try their luck", and earn more pieces for the same coin. Customers could also just buy pieces at the normal price.[citation needed]
Nowadays, these coin-operated sellers are extremely rare.[2]
One difficulty with the mass-marketing ofroti sai mai is its limited shelf life. The dough and floss candy must be consumed within a few days, or the dessert's flavour will degrade, and it will spoil not soon after. The company Candy Crepe, founded by Jainnisa Kuvinichkul, collaborated with theNational Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand to increase the dessert's shelf-life. Their product has a shelf life of 6–12 months without the use of chemical additives.[3]
