Mango Namplawan (Fermented Fish Dipping Sauce) Ice Cream at Swensen's, Thailand

Mango Namplawan and Shrimp Ice Cream

World of Fast Food: Swensen's Thailand

Overall, I find Thai food to be absolutely exquisite. I love nearly everything, but namplawan is one of the few dishes in Thailand that I really don't like. It's a type of dipping sauce made of fermented fruit and fish, and usually it's served with super young sour mango. The questions that I've been asking for years and years is why on earth would anyone ruin a perfectly good slice of mango by dipping it into rotten fish? The answer eludes me.

But I knew that I couldn't pass up the chance to try and write about this odd combination when I first saw it in ice cream form. Not long ago, I was at the supermarket and passed by the Swensen's ice cream parlor. Finally, curiosity got the best of me, and I ordered it.

Green mango sorbet ice cream with Thai-style sweet and spicy fermented fish and fruit dipping sauce, fried red onions, and crispy dried shrimp

I ordered the set. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a farang (foreigner), or just because nobody else has really ever ordered it, but the staff gave me a funny look and a little laugh when I asked for the namplawan ice cream. I sat down to wait, and it took a few minutes for my dessert to arrive. 

The set order came with two big scoops of sour green mango sorbet topped with crunchy fried shallots. It also came with a shot glass with namplawan sauce and another with a trio of crispy dried shrimp.

namplawan ice cream set from Swensen's Thailand

To be honest, this is exactly what I expected. It's weird, and tastes remarkably like the namplawan of which I am absolutely not a fan. Sometimes weird is good. In this case... maybe not so much. I gave my wife the shrimp (they were good, but I didn't want to eat them with ice cream) and pushed most of the namplawan and fried shallots to the side. The ice cream itself was great, but I would have enjoyed it better by itself. It was very sweet and very sour, just how I like it!

In fact, I've been back to Swensen's since just to order the young mango sorbet, and it was exemplary. Highly recommended!

dried shrimp and namplawan sauce with ice cream, Thailand

The green mango namplawan ice cream set is a very odd Thai taste. It is sweet, sour, salty, and savory all in one. The flavors are all good, but I'm just not sure how they work in ice cream form. Maybe some  would really love it, but for me, it's more of a novelty. Anyway, I never regret trying something new. I've always tried to avoid being a picky eater, and even if I don't like something, I'm usually willing to be adventurous and give it a try. I'm glad I finally got the chance to taste it, even if it's not for me.

shrimp and ice cream at Swensen's Thailand

I might just stick with coconut ice cream when I'm traveling in Thailand...

Thai coconut ice cream: https://www.theworldofstreetfood.com/2021/11/thai-coconut-ice-cream.html

Price

💲 - 99 THB (about $3); not bad for what you get

Where to get it

You can get the mango namplawan ice cream at any Swensen's location in Thailand, or, you can order it online for delivery from the Swensen's Thailand website.