Thai mango sticky rice sales explode after dish makes appearance during rapper MILLI's Coachella performance 

Thai rapper MILLI set the stage on fire during her Coachella performance, finishing her dynamic performance with a bowl of mango sticky rice — a traditional Thai dessert.

The delicacy has now gone viral since the 19-year-old rapper's performance on Sunday, April 17. Consequently, mango sticky rice sales skyrocketed immediately, leaving Bangkok’s famous Mae Varee shop, which specializes in it, overwhelmed with demand.

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MILLI makes mango sticky rice a nationwide viral sensation

Mae Varee shop owner Naparom Suntiparadorn mentioned that the orders placed for the dish increased nearly six to seven times on Sunday. The surge triggered a road blockade due to the teeming crowd of delivery personnel.

Suntiparadorn said:

“We needed to close the delivery orders from time to time because we couldn’t prepare [the rice] in time.”

This unexpected bout of fame was brought about by MILLI's (real name Danupha Khanatheerakul) ode to the sweet treat with a special rap, Mango Sticky Rice.

The rapper, who became the first solo Thai artist to take to the Coachella stage, also criticized cliched Thai stereotypes during her set.

The lyrics included:

“I don’t ride an elephant // I can play ping-pong with no hands"

But the lyrics that resonated the most with Thai nationals were:

“The country is good, people are good, our food is good but the government is bood [rotten]”

Despite MILLI's public criticism, the Thai government sought to capitalize on the viral frenzy. An official proposition for Khao Nieo Mamuang (the Thai name for mango sticky rice) to be recognized as a Thai cultural heritage item with UNESCO is already in the works.

Director-General of Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion Chai Nakhonchai said:

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

Nakhonchai mentioned that this proposal seeks to immortalize the sweet treat as a part of “Thailand’s intangible cultural heritage”. Additionally, the delicacy is slated to be included in the project Thai Dishcovery: New Thai Dish for New Gen.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha also commended the rapper's subtle use of soft power to promote Thailand, saying:

“It’s important for Thailand to use its soft power abroad. We have plenty of resources that can be promoted on the international stage.”

Mae Varee, Bangkok's flagship destination for the specialty dessert, prides itself on sourcing only the best ingredients from across Thailand for their signature mango sticky rice. Suntiparadorn said:

“The rice needs to be in perfect shape, with no cracking. We clean it well and steam it. The coconut is from Surat Thani province. We simmer it. It tastes sweet, but not too sweet, and aromatic. Our mango is also aromatic. It has a natural sweetness. Our signature is we sprinkle crispy mung beans on top.”

Commenting on the dish's potential UNESCO recognition, she added:

“I guess it’s like a Thai massage in that you need to come here to Thailand to experience it. It won’t taste the same if you eat it anywhere else.”

Thailand's local food industry stands to benefit the most from this viral sensation, seeing how the dish only used to be a tourist offering before. The surge in local demand will be a much-needed financial respite from the losses that struck the food-and-beverage and tourism sectors alike.