Thailand nominates mango sticky rice for UNESCO heritage list after the dessert’s viral Coachella moment

Milli, a 19-year-old Thai rapper who performed at Coachella on Saturday, ignited international interest after eating Thai mango sticky rice on stage.

Danupa “Milli” Kanateerakul is the first Thai solo artist to perform at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. After her energetic performance of “Mirror Mirror” and “Sud Pang” in a dazzling red outfit, she whipped out a clear bowl of mango sticky rice and began proudly taking bites from the traditional Thai dish. Still on stage, she raised her microphone and chanted to the crowd in Thai, “Who wants mango and rice that is sticky?”

Mango sticky rice is a refreshing Thai dessert made from soaking sticky rice in coconut milk and topping it off with sweet mango and coconut sauce. This treat is typically eaten in the summer when mango is in season.

After Milli’s performance, the director-general of Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion, Chai Nakhonchai, applauded Milli for promoting the dish and creating interest in Thai culture, which he said was a “power move” akin to when Blackpink’s Lisa expressed her fondness for meatballs from her hometown of Buriram. Nakhonchai announced that the dish will be nominated on a UNESCO proposal to be recognized as a part of “Thailand’s intangible cultural heritage.”

“The department is collecting information about mango sticky rice in preparation for the UNESCO proposal,” Chai said.

Sales of the dessert in its home country and abroad have also appeared to increase since Saturday, according to reports. One mango sticky rice seller that operates at Simummuang Market in Pathum Thani province told Thai PBS World that she usually sells one mango crate’s worth of mango sticky rice a day, but that on Sunday she peeled four crates of the fruit while trying to meet demand.

Milli’s consumption of mango sticky rice went viral on social media over the weekend thanks to international fans’ curiosity, with the hashtag #khanonieomamuang (or #mangostickyrice in English) trending on Twitter.

Featured Image via Getty

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