Tub Tim Krob
ทับทิมกรอบ
Tub Tim Krob is a Thai dessert of water chestnuts coated in red-dyed tapioca flour, served in chilled coconut milk with crushed ice — named for its resemblance to rubies (tub tim).
Cultural Origin
Tub Tim Krob is a classical Central Thai dessert in which water chestnut cubes are coated in red-tinted tapioca flour to resemble pomegranate seeds, then served in sweetened coconut cream over crushed ice. It is considered a refined palace-style dessert popularized in the late 19th century and remains a fixture of Thai dessert shops.
Allergens & Sensitivities
Key Ingredients
- water chestnuts
- red food colouring
- tapioca flour
- coconut milk
- simple syrup
Taste profile
- Salty
- fish sauce, soy, shrimp paste
- Sweet
- palm sugar, coconut
- Sour
- lime, tamarind, fermentation
- Umami
- dried shrimp, fermented pastes, stock
The water chestnut stays genuinely crunchy under its soft tapioca shell, and the coconut milk it sits in is only lightly sweetened, so the dessert feels cooler and less cloying than most Thai sweets served over ice.
How Tub Tim Krob Is Made
- 1
Cutting
Fresh water chestnuts are peeled and diced into small, even cubes.
- 2
Colouring
The cubes are soaked in red syrup until tinted through.
- 3
Coating
The coloured cubes are tossed in tapioca flour until each piece is evenly dusted.
- 4
Boiling
The coated cubes are dropped into boiling water until the tapioca layer turns translucent and chewy, then plunged into iced water to firm up.
- 5
Assembling
The finished pieces are served in chilled coconut milk sweetened with syrup, over crushed ice.
When It’s Eaten
A hot-weather dessert, ordered chilled rather than tied to any fixed time of day, and rarely appears on menus in a warm version.
How to Order It
- ขอทับทิมกรอบหนึ่งที่
- kor tub tim krob neung thi
- One tub tim krob, please
- ขอน้ำแข็งเยอะ
- kor nam khaeng yoeh
- Extra ice, please
What people get wrong
Confusing it with a fruit dessert because of the ruby colour — the red pieces are water chestnut in tapioca, not a fruit or jelly, and first-timers are sometimes surprised by the crunch inside.
Where to Try It
Thai dessert stalls, food courts, and traditional restaurants throughout Thailand.
Tips
- The contrast between crunchy water chestnut inside and soft tapioca coating is the hallmark of a good Tub Tim Krob — if the inside is mushy, it's overcooked.