Ayutthaya River Prawns (Kung Mae Nam)

Ayutthaya is famous for its temple ruins — and, among Thais, for its river prawns. The giant freshwater prawn (kung mae nam) grows to a spectacular size in the rivers around the old island capital, and eating one grilled is a pilgrimage in its own right.

Why It’s Interesting

Cooked simply over charcoal in the shell (kung pao), the prawns are prized less for the meat than for the head, which fills with a molten, savoury orange fat and roe that you scoop out and spoon over rice. Riverside restaurants around the island serve them by weight alongside the current and passing boats — a rich, messy, and very local counterpoint to a day among the ruins.

Getting There

You’ll find the specialists at riverside restaurants encircling Ayutthaya’s historic island, an easy add-on to a day of temple-hopping. Prawns are sold by weight, so check the price before ordering the biggest ones — and wear a bib mentality.