A dessert for all occasions: Cooling down the body with Vietnamese
NO MATTER how much you eat, no matter how full you feel, there’s no better sight to see after dinner than the dessert menu. And of course, as this is Vietnam, it’s highly unlikely you will find anything simple to choose from as you would in other countries.
Cheesecakes? Don’t think so. Vanilla ice cream? Probably not. And despite the obviously French influence this country has, it’s unlikely you’ll discover many profiteroles.
Instead you are more likely to see che, or sweet soup as it translates.
Although it certainly falls into the dessert food group, che can be enjoyed at any time of day, with or without a meal.
In fact che, and the various varieties it comes in, is far more than just a simple ‘afters’.
Che is something much more social. It is a dessert to be enjoyed with friends, family and work colleagues any time of the day.
One popular choice when choosing which particular sweet soup you want is che suong sa hat luu or rainbow dessert.
It comes in a kaleidoscope of colours, hence its name, and is often served in a tall glass, giving off a rainbow like appearance.
Dang Thi Thanh Huyen has been serving rainbow dessert and many others from her cafe on Thien Quang Street for 30 years.
She uses the same recipe her grandmother taught her, and believes that if she can make it just the same, everyone will enjoy the dish.
“I have been selling since April 1989. I love making desserts,” Huyen said.
“When at home, it is normal to have dessert after finishing main courses. From my old days, it was always like that.
“My grandmother used to make sweet soup, and I always tried to learn making it from my grandmother, then I participated. From that day on, I thought that if I could
Chesuongsahatluu,
make it the same as her, I would make such delicious desserts.”
And judging by the regular customers who keep coming back for more, she seems to have got the recipe spot on.
“There are several generations of people who came to eat here, because I have been selling sweet soup for 30 years,” Huyen said.
“There are people who used to eat sweet soup at my shop since they were in kindergarten, now they’ve grown up, got married and have children, and still come here to eat.
“I have been here for three generations. There are people who went to study abroad for a long time and still visit my sweet soup shop when returning to Vietnam.”
On a typical day at Quan An Ngon, chef Do Th Huyen makes around 1,000 servings of rainbow dessert.
“The rainbow dessert here is my own recipe. It is inspired by the uniqueness of coconut milk, which makes it different from the rainbow dessert in other shops,” Huyen said.
“The coconut milk here is delicious, creamy and very fragrant.
“My rainbow dessert consists of coconut milk, green beans, sugar syrup made from pandan leaf, water chestnut covered in tapioca starch and, last but not least, jelly.
“The taste is both gentle and cool thanks to the green beans. The chestnut is also very refreshing, helping to cool down the body.
“In t he preparation, I have to measure and weigh t he ingredients, so t hat t he proportion is balanced perfect ly in one cup of rainbow dessert.
“I really love my sweet soup, when customers eat it and they compliment that my dessert is so good, I love that feeling!
“When working in the kitchen, I am very excited to have a passion for making desserts and serving it to my customers, making them feel full and fall in love with this restaurant.”
So whatever the weather, whatever the occasion, and whatever the company, che is the perfect end to a meal. A feel good food that is guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of everyone who tries it.