Maria Guyomar de Pinha

Maria Guyomar de Pina or Thao Thong Kip Ma (Thai: ท้าวทองกีบม้า; 1664 – 1728), also known as Maria Guiomar de Pina, Dona Maria del Pifia or as Marie Guimar and Madame Constance in French, was a Siamese woman of mixed Japanese-Portuguese-Bengali ancestry who lived in Ayutthaya in the 17th century. She became the wife of Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon.

Maria Guyomar is known in Thailand for having introduced new dessert recipes in Siamese cuisine at the Ayutthaya court. Some of her dishes were influenced by Portuguese cuisine, especially egg yolk-based sweets such as foi thong ("golden threads") and sangkhaya.

Maria was born in Ayutthaya during the reign of King Narai. Her mother was a Japanese, named Ursula Yamada, whose family had emigrated to Thailand following the repression of Christianity in Japan. Her father Fanik Guyomar (also Phanik Guimar), from the Portuguese colony of Goa, was a Christian of mixed Japanese and Portuguese descent.

Maria Guyomar was educated as a Catholic. In 1682, Maria married Constantine Phaulkon after he abandoned Anglicanism for Catholicism. They lived a life of affluence as Phaulkon rose to become highly influential at the royal court of king Narai.

...
Wikipedia