Pa Thong Ko, Thai Doughnuts

In Bangkok, breakfast is a favorite time of day for me. I typically go for some type of soup for breakfast. Either Thai congee, noodle soup or wonton soup. This is in stark contrast to my usual cup of espresso breakfast back home in the States. When having soup, I love to add some pa thong ko to the bowl for some crispy texture and satisfying richness. There are two types of pa thong ko, a sweet variety and a salty one. I prefer the salty one.

Pa thong ko is made by attaching two pieces of dough together, or making it look that way and then frying it. The Thai story behind this doughnut is sweet. They say that the doughnut represents to lovers that are deeply attached to each other and always seen together. Source of this story

We normally head out at 6am to do some exercise in the local park before returning home to have breakfast. On the walk to the park we see all the street food vendors setting up for the day. This is my motivation to get the workout done! On the way back from the park I usually get some sort of snack or something like pa thong ko to add to my breakfast at home.

One thing I love about walking the streets of Bangkok is seeing all the street food vendors. It is like being given exclusive access into a chef's kitchen. You can just walk right up and watch the chef in action, ask questions and then try out their dish all within a few minutes. I learn so much by doing this.

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This street food vendor is making pa thong ko

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Here the doughnuts have just started frying

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Check out how skilled this chef is at cutting and folding the dough.

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After a tough workout I reward myself with a few doughnuts while walking home for breakfast!

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One morning I enjoyed wonton soup with some pa thong ko. We use pork to make these wontons and I like to dip them in chili sauce. I just noticed that I picked up two different chop sticks!

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The next morning I picked up some more doughnuts and had them with Thai congee. This congee has shrimp and pickled chilies added to it.

• Do you like to eat noodle soups or congee for breakfast?

• Have you ever had a salty doughnut like this before?

I hope you have enjoyed this breakfast treat that I have shared with you.
Steve