Polydish city guide
Best Luk chup in London
“A royal Thai dessert that borrowed from Portugal, transformed by what grows near at hand.”
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What the real thing tastes like
Luk chup (Thai: ลูกชุบ, pronounced [lûːk t͡ɕʰúp]), also spelled look choop, is a Thai dessert derived from the Portuguese massapão (marzipan). The original Portuguese version uses almonds as the main ingredient; given the absence of almonds in Thailand, luk chup instead uses mung beans. Traditionally, luk chup was only made for royalty, but is nowadays available in general dessert shops in Thailand. The shape of luk chup is molded into fruit or vegetable shapes such as mangoes, chilies or oranges, with colors that match the color of the foods they represent. Typical ingredients in luk chup include mung beans, coconut milk, sugar, jelly powder, water, and food coloring. The beans, coconut milk, and sugar are mixed into a paste, from which the luk chup is then formed. The food coloring can be painted onto the dessert, and it is sometimes dipped in agar to provide a shiny appearance.
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Luk chup is a Thai dessert that arrived by way of Portuguese marzipan, then made itself at home—swapping almonds for mung beans because that's what Thailand had. Once reserved for royalty alone, these little molded shapes now sit in shop cases across the country, painted to look like mangoes, chilies, and oranges, sometimes glazed with agar until they gleam.
Order it here when it has
- historically royal
- regionally adapted
- visual mimicry of real fruits
- now widely accessible
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