“It’s just crazy–it’s a crazy story,” says Thai cookbook writer and journalist Chawadee Nualkhair. “And apparently it’s true! Or, that’s what we all believe.” She’s referring to the tumultuous life of Maria Guyomar de Pinha (1664–1728), known in Thailand as Thao Thong Kip Ma and sometimes called “the Queen of Thai Desserts.” In the Siamese court of the late 17th century, Guyomar experienced a meteoric rise followed by an equally dramatic fall, and Thai cuisine would never be the same. In present-day Thailand, Nualkhair explains, Guyomar’s reputation has become so…
