Chakri Kingdom (1782 to Present)

By the beginning of the Chakri dynasty in the eighteenth century, countless new sweets had been invented, mostly in the royal courts. Each day the king was served a dessert tray with at least five kinds of exquisitely shaped sweets, selected for their complementary tastes and appearances. A profusion of delicacies was swathed in aromatic infusions and natural colorings that incorporated perfumed blossoms, herbs, barks, and smoke from scented candles. See aroma and food colorings. Ice shipped from Singapore for the first time during the reign of Rama IV (1851–1868) was used to cool the perfumed syrups, creating new sweets for the king’s table.