Pa thong ko

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Pa thong ko is the Thai take on popular Chinese crullers called youtiao . To make the crullers, a mixture of flour, yeast, baking ammonia, alum powder, lukewarm water, salt, sugar, and some baking powder is formed into a dough, which is then oiled, left to rest, and finally cut into long strips. Pairs of dough strips are then carefully stuck to one another to give the crullers their recognizable shape before they are deep-fried in hot oil until nicely colored, puffy, and slightly crispy. Innovative ways of shaping the crullers other than their traditional form have emerged over the years, and nowadays, pa thong ko can be seen in numerous unusual shapes such as dinosaurs or dragons. In Thailand, warm pa thong ko is a typical breakfast meal and a well-loved street food item, and it is usually complemented by sweetened condensed milk, Thai custard, or Thai congee, along with a cup of fresh coffee on the side.