Deep-Fried Flowers (Thai Tempura) at Chata Thamachart Cafe, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

Thai Flower Tempura

by Chata Thamachart Cafe, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

We often think of flowers as purely ornamental, but there are lots of types of flowers that can actually be eaten!

A few weeks back I tried some miengkham with lotus flowers at Chata Thamachart Cafe in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. While there, I also had the chance to order a serving of battered and fried Thai flowers, something akin to Thai flower tempura, served with a sweet, savory, and spicy dipping sauce made from tomato and shrimp paste.

colorful fried Thai flower tempura in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
colorful fried Thai flower tempura in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

There were several types of flowers included in the dish. Each was lightly battered in a thin but extremely crispy egg and flour batter and fried until perfectly golden brown on the outside while retaining the bright colors and sweet floral scents and flavors of the fresh flowers underneath.

The flowers included lotus blossom, milkweed, and butterfly pea - all very popular flowers used in making Thai sweets and snacks.

The fried flowers were served along with a dipping sauce made from tomato and sweet and savory shrimp. It had a really rich umami flavor coupled with a sweet and slightly sour taste from the tomatoes. 

While the fried flowers were tasty enough on their own, they were even better when dipped in the sweet and savory dipping sauce.

deep-fried flowers at Chata Thamachart Cafe, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
deep-fried flowers at Chata Thamachart Cafe, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

More great dishes from this cafe

Location

Chata Thamachart Cafe is located at168 หมู่7 Rai Khing, Sam Phran District, Nakhon Pathom 73210, Thailand. It's most easily accessible by car.

rice fields at Chata Thamachart Cafe, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
rice fields at Chata Thamachart Cafe, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

See the map for the exact location and directions:

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