When visiting foreign countries, a majority of people simply love the idea of buying fun and tasty snacks for their friends and family back home as souvenirs. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a truly local snack that's halal but fortunately you won't have the same problem when you're in the gorgeous kingdom of Thailand. With a Muslim population of over 2 million living in the country, Thailand is ranked as the 10th biggest exporter of halal food products in the world. With its own halal certification body, you can shop for snacks at ease, knowing that your needs are well cared for ?!
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Still, with plenty of options for you to choose from, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out just what to get. That’s why we’ve prepared a list of 10 muslim-friendly food souvenirs from Thailand to bring home with you once you’re done visiting this beautiful Southeast Asian country?.
1. Tubed Spreads
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If you enjoy having sweet spreads on your toast for breakfast but hate the mess that it inevitably leaves behind in the form of dirty cutlery, then you’re going to love these tubed spreads. With flavours ranging from chocolate to strawberry and even just plain condensed milk, these handy tubed spreads come in a variety of sizes and are ultra-convenient to carry around or pack away into your luggage ?.
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Some of the certified halal tubed spread brands include Teapot, Carnation and Palace. They’re absolutely delicious and besides using them on toast, you can also use these spreads on ice cream, waffles and even to make milkshakes! Best of all, you can easily find them in most supermarkets and 7-Eleven stores in Thailand ?
2. Manora Fried Chips
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For those of you who are unfamiliar, Manora is a brand of certified halal fried chips that is available in all convenience stores and supermarkets across Thailand; including Bangkok’s famous Big C Supermarket ?
P.S. If you happen to be in Bangkok, here’s a list of 14 Halal Snacks You Must Buy At Bangkok's Big C Supermarket
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Available in either packets or tubed packaging, these oddly addictive chips comes in a variety of flavours; some of which include fried pumpkin, fried taro, fried crab and of course, their most popular and sought-after flavour, fried fish and shrimp ?
3. Tom Yum Paste
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If you’ve been to Thailand, then you know how utterly mouth-watering and delicious their Tom Yum is. Sure, a couple of local Thai-inspired restaurants might come close but nothing beats the real deal! Which is why Tom Yum paste from Thailand would make excellent souvenirs ? Among some of the best tasting and halal tom yum paste brands are Kung Thai and Lobo, which come in either jars or packets.
4. Tasto Potato Chips
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Tasto is one of Thailand’s most popular potato chips brand with a long and rich history. Using high-quality potatoes that guarantees a satisfying crunch with every bite, these irresistible potato chips are great to snack on when you’re riding a tuktuk and easy enough to bring home with you ?
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Coming in a wide range of flavours, such as Salt & Sour, Crab Curry and Seaweed with Korean Style Sauce (just to name a few), you can purchase a pack of Tasto potato chips from any Thai 7-Eleven stores.
P.S. If you're on the hunt for more food, Chatuchak market is the place to be!
5. Tao Kae Noi Seaweed Snacks
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Another Thai snack staple that would make for an excellent souvenir is the Tao Kae Noi seaweed snacks. These healthy snacks can be eaten plain on its own or added to rice if you’re craving for something a bit more filling ?
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While you can find Tao Kae Noi seaweed products in most supermarkets in Malaysia, in Thailand you can find it in a wider range of exclusive flavours – like tom yum, cheese, squid and even durian! ?
6. Koh Kae Peanut Snacks
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If you’ve visited Thailand before, then you’ve definitely come across Koh Kae Peanuts. These hassle-free (no peanut shells, so you can just eat them at your leisure) peanuts are highly addictive and super tasty to boot ?
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Unlike the typical peanut snacks that you might have tried – Koh Kae takes peanuts to the next level by coating them in a coconut-cream base before frying them to a crisp adding a dusting of interesting flavours such as chicken, Mala, BBQ and wasabi for an extra kick ?.
7. Bento Seafood Snack (Squid & Fish)
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If you’re a fan of spicy snacks, then you’re going to want to give Bento Seafood snacks a try. Bento is popular seafood snack brand in Thailand and it comes in both squid and fish form ?.
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These miniature halal bites are made of dried strips of serrated squid or fish. A little sticky to the touch, these spicy snacks offers a unique spicy taste that makes it hard to stop eating. Out of the two, the squid ones are the more famous version and also comes in a host of different flavours (and level of spiciness) such as Hot & Spicy, Sweet & Spicy, Thai Original, and so on ?
8. Taro Fish Snack
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As Thailand’s self-proclaimed #1 fish snack, Taro Fish snackis made with 80% fresh white fish, and is a healthy, halal and protein rich snack. Cut into long strips (and looking a little bit like shoestring French fries), this extra-chewy fish jerky comes in different flavours such as original, spicy and barbecue ?.
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Unlike Bento Seafood snack, you can eat Taro fish snacks as is or throw them into a frying pan, deep fryer or microwave to make a crispier version ?
9. Carada Rice Ball Snack
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Popular for its light and crispy texture, Carada rice ball snack is another popular souvenir that will allow you to bring home the ‘taste of Thailand’. Made from well-selected and high-quality cereals, this snack also comes in a variety of different flavours; such as cheese, coconut, Nori Seaweed and Cuttlefish ?
10. Siam Banana
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If Japan has the ever-famous Tokyo Banana, then Thailand's response to it is its very own Siam Banana! Presented in a more or less similar concept, this sweet treat consists of two soft sponges with a sweet banana cream filling sandwiched in the middle. A bite out of this will recreate the same experience as having the popular Japanese snack. The only difference is that Siam Banana comes at a much lower cost (yay for saving!). If you're not a big fan of banana flavoured things, there are other options available too like coffee, chocolate and even durian ?
11. Collon
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Collon is that perfect snack for anywhere at anytime. Whether you're exploring Thailand or waiting for your flight back home, these crunchy wafer biscuits with flavourful fillings are simple enough to carry around and consume. There are no regrets when it comes to this delicious snack, so stock up on some Collons the next time you're in Thailand!
12. Fruit King
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Fruit lovers are in for a good time with Fruit King's colourful variety of snacks. The vacuum freeze-dried fruits like durian, rambutan, mangosteen and jackfruit are almost as good as the real thing (some even say they're better) and you'll only believe us when you find yourself hitting the bottom of the package and ripping open a new one ?
13. Pocky
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If you're one to stick to your Pocky childhood snack but still want to try variations of it, make sure to grab some of the unique flavours these sticks have to offer! From choco banana and green tea to mango and cookies and cream, your inner child and taste buds are sure to go wild when consuming these.
14. Nestea’s Thai Milk Tea
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Finally, topping our list of food souvenirs from Thailand is Nestea's Thai Milk Tea sachets. Just like the mouth-watering tom yum, there’s just something about Thailand's ice tea that makes it so irresistible ? Carefully packed into easy to use sachets for your convenience, this instant version of the popular drink guarantees you an instantly refreshing and satisfying taste ?.
Seeing as how halal snacks are easy to come by in Thailand, we hope that this list of muslim-friendly food souvenirs from Thailand has helped you to narrow down some of your choices! Make sure to be on the lookout for some of these snacks and when in doubt, pop on over to any of Thailand’s many 7 Eleven and be amazed at the variety of snacks on display ?.