Phuket dessert ‘Bii Thai Bak’ wins Thailand’s top regional food award

Phuket’s traditional dessert ‘Bii Thai Bak’ has been selected as Thailand’s top regional food for 2026 after receiving the highest number of votes in a nationwide public poll, according to the Department of Cultural Promotion.

The dessert, which resembles lod-chong noodles, is made by kneading rice flour with warm water before dividing and colouring the mixture white and red. It is pressed into boiling water to form strands, cooled to create a chewy texture and served with pandan syrup and shaved ice.

The selection is part of the department’s “One Province, One Menu: Honouring Local Food” project, titled “The Lost Taste”. The programme is being organised with cultural offices from Thailand’s 76 provinces and Bangkok to preserve local dishes at risk of disappearing, develop them and promote food-related cultural knowledge.

A government deputy spokesperson said Phuket was recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy in 2015. Phuket’s local cuisine reflects a combination of Hokkien Chinese and southern Thai culinary traditions, according to the spokesperson.