''Chè'' () is any traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage, dessert soup or stew, or

pudding Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury (salty or spicy) dish served as part of the main meal. In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, ins ...

. ''Chè'' includes a wide variety of distinct soups or puddings. Varieties of Chè can be made with

mung bean The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...

s, black-eyed peas,

kidney bean The kidney bean is a variety of the common bean (''Phaseolus vulgaris''). It resembles a human kidney and thus is named after such. Red kidney beans should not be confused with other red beans, such as adzuki beans. Classification There are d ...

s, tapioca, jelly (clear or grass), fruit ( longan,

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

durian The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...

, lychee or jackfruit), and coconut cream. Other types are made with ingredients such as salt,

aloe vera ''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...

, seaweed,

lotus seed A lotus seed or lotus nut is the seed of plants in the genus ''Nelumbo'', particularly the species ''Nelumbo nucifera''. The seeds are used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine. Mostly sold in dried, shelled form, the seeds contain rich con ...

, sesame seed,

sugar palm Sugar palm is a common name for several species of palms used to produce sugar. :Species used include: *''Arenga pinnata'' (syn. ''A. saccharifera'') *''Borassus flabellifer'' *''Caryota'' :*'' Caryota urens'' *''Cocos nucifera'' See also *Toddy ...

seeds, taro, cassava and pandan leaf extract. Some varieties, such as '' chè trôi nước'', may also include dumplings. ''Chè'' are often prepared with one of a number of varieties of beans, tubers, and/or

glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...

, cooked in water and sweetened with

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

. In southern Vietnam, ''chè'' are often garnished with coconut creme. ''Chè'' may be served either hot or cold, and eaten with a bowl and spoon or drunk in a glass. Each variety of ''chè'' is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word ''chè'', such as ''chè đậu đỏ'' (literally "

red bean Red bean is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * Adzuki bean (''Vigna angularis''), commonly used in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine, particularly as red bean paste * Kidney bean, red variety of ''Phaseolus vulgaris'', commo ...

''chè''"). ''Chè'' may be made at home, but are also commonly sold in plastic cups at Vietnamese grocery stores. In northern Vietnam, ''chè'' is also the word for the

tea plant ''Camellia sinensis'' is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves and leaf buds are used to produce the popular beverage, tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree (not to ...

. Tea is also known as ''nước chè'' in the North or more commonly ''trà'' in both regions. The Chinese category of sweet soups called '' tong sui'' are very similar to ''chè''.

Varieties

There is a nearly endless variety of named dishes with the prefix ''chè'', and thus it is impossible to produce a complete list. What follows is a list of the most typical traditional varieties of ''chè''.

Beans and pulses

*Chè ba màu () - usually including green

s, white black-eyed peas, and red

azuki bean ''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...

s, although people can cook with any ingredients making any three colours they like (compare with

halo halo Halo-halo, correctly spelled ''haluhalo'', Tagalog for "mixed" (the more common spelling instead literally equating to "mix-mix") is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and vario ...

). *Chè đậu đen - made from black turtle beans; one of the most popular varieties of ''chè'', particularly for northern Vietnamese * Chè đậu đỏ - made from

s, usually using whole beans, rarely using ground beans. *Chè đậu huyết - made from red beans. *Chè đậu ngự - made from '' Phaseolus lunatus'' (or moon beans) - specialty in Huế, an imperial dish *Chè đậu phụng (also called ''chè đậu phộng'' in southern Vietnam, or ''chè lạc'' in northern Vietnam) - made from peanuts *Chè đậu trắng - made from black-eyed peas. Oftentimes, this dessert is just referred to as chè đậu as it is one of the most common bean dessert for southern Vietnamese. *Chè đậu ván Huế - made from ''

Dolichos lablab ''Lablab purpureus'' is a species of bean in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Africa and it is cultivated throughout the tropics for food.Huế *Chè đậu xanh - made from whole

s **Chè đậu xanh phổ tai - made from mung beans and ''phổ tai'' (a kind of kelp) **Chè đậu xanh đánh - made from ground mung beans **Chè đậu đãi - made from ground skinless mung beans (''đãi'' means to remove the skin) **Chè đậu xanh nha đam - mung beans and pieces of fresh aloe vera **Chè hoa cau - a northern dish made from ground skinless mung beans with betel nut flower-shape (a similar dish called ''chè táo xọn'', prepared in southern Vietnam, uses less mung beans)

Rice, grains, tubers and cereals

*Chè bánh lọt - made from ''

bánh lọt Bánh lọt () is sweet rice pasta dessert in southern Vietnamese cuisine. It is made with rice, salt, tapioca flour, coconut milk, sugar and water. ''Bánh lọt'' is also used to make two types of chè: ''chè bánh lọt ''and ''chè đậu đ� ...

'' - a cake from Huế (''lọt'' means "to sift"). *Chè bắp (the Southern dialect) or chè ngô (the Northern dialect) - made from corn and tapioca rice pudding *Chè bột sắn (or chè sắn bột) - made from cassava flour *Chè sắn lắt - made from sliced cassava *Chè cốm - made from young rice. *Chè lam - made from ground glutinous rice *Chè củ mài - made from '' Dioscorea persimilis'' *Chè củ súng - made from

water lily Water lily or water lilies may refer to: Plants * Members of family Nymphaeaceae * Formerly, members of the genus ''Nelumbo'' (the genus to which lotus belongs) * Some members of the genus ''Nymphoides'' Other uses * ''Water Lilies'' (Monet ...

bulbs *Chè củ từ (or chè khoai từ) - made from ''

Dioscorea esculenta ''Dioscorea esculenta'', commonly known as the lesser yam, is a yam species native to Island Southeast Asia and introduced to Near Oceania and East Africa by early Austronesian voyagers. It is grown for their edible tubers, though it has small ...

'' *Chè hột lựu (called by this name in southern Vietnam and by chè hạt lựu in northern Vietnam) - in this dish, rice paste are cut into pomegranate seed-shaped pieces. *Chè hột é - basil seed drink *Chè khoai lang - made from

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

*Chè khoai môn - made from taro *Chè môn sáp vàng - made from a variety of taro grown in Huế *Chè kê - made from

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

*Chè khoai tây - made from potato *Chè mè đen - made from black

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

seeds *Chè sen - made from thin vermicelli and jasmine flavoured syrup *Chè hạt sen - made from

s **Chè sen trần **Chè sen dừa - made from lotus seeds and coconut water **Chè củ sen - made from lotus tubers *Chè mã thầy (or chè củ năng) - made from

water chestnuts Water chestnut may refer to either of two plants (both sometimes used in Chinese cuisine): * The Chinese water chestnut ('' Eleocharis dulcis''), eaten for its crisp corm * The water caltrop The water caltrop is any of three extant species of th ...

Cơm rượu ''Cơm rượu'' () also known as ''rượu nếp cái'' is a traditional Vietnamese dessert from Southern Vietnam, made from glutinous rice. To prepare ''cơm rượu'', glutinous rice is cooked, mixed with yeast, and rolled into small balls. ...

- mildly alcoholic chè.

Jellies

*Chè thạch or chè rau câu - made from agar agar **Chè thạch lựu - made from seaweed and other pomegranate seed-shaped tapioca pearls. **Chè thạch sen - made from seaweed and lotus seeds *Sương sâm - jelly with ''

Tiliacora triandra ''Tiliacora triandra'' is a species of flowering plant native to mainland Southeast Asia and used particularly in the cuisines of northeast Thailand and Laos. In the Isan dialect of Lao, the language of northeastern Thailand, it is called ''bai ...

'' extract *Sương sáo - Grass jelly *Chè thạch sen - thin, vermicelli-like jellies. Chè Bánh Xếp

Dumplings

*Chè bột lọc from small cassava and rice flour dumplings *Chè con ong (; so named because this dish is viscous and yellow, like honey) - made from

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

root, honey, and

molasses Molasses () is a viscous substance resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used to sweeten and flavour foods ...

– this is a northern dish, usually cooked to offer to the ancestors at Tết. *Chè bánh xếp - green bean wrapped in a tapioca skin dumpling eaten in a coconut milk base with smaller pieces of tapioca. Translated to English, the dish is "folded cake dessert". * Chè trôi nước - balls made from mung bean paste in a shell made of glutinous rice flour; served in a thick clear or brown liquid made of water, sugar, and grated

root.

Fruits and plants

*Chè hoa quả (northern dialect) or chè trái cây (southern dialect) - mixture of different fruits including pineapple, watermelon, apple, pear,

, lychee, dried

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

, and dried

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

with milk, yogurt, and syrup *Chè nhãn - made from longan *Chè xoài - made from

*Chè trái vải - lychee and jelly *Chè bưởi - made from pomelo oil and slivered rind *Chè chuối - made from bananas and tapioca (Vietnamese: bột báng). Traditionally served warm. *Chè sầu riêng - made from

*Chè thốt nốt - made from

seeds *Chè mít - made from jackfruit *Chè lô hội - made from ''

Aloe vera ''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...

'' *

Hột é Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also k ...

- made from '' Sterculia lychnophora'' extract and

basil seeds Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the Family (biology), family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a Hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term " ...

Mixed

*Chè đậu đỏ bánh lọt - red beans and

. *

Chè thập cẩm Cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. It is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietnam, ...

(chè lẫn) meaning ''ten-ingredient sweet soup'' or ''mixed sweet soup'' is a mixture of various kinds of ingredients such as black-eyed peas,

, syrup, ice cream, milk and trân châu. This is one of the most popular forms of ''chè'' served in Vietnam. *

Chè bà ba ''Chè bà ba'' is a Vietnamese dessert with a coconut milk soup base and square pieces of taro, cassava and khoai lang bí, a kind of long sweet potato with red skin and yellow flesh. The dish commonly includes pieces of tapioca, and the dish ...

- made from taro, cassava and ''khoai lang bí'', a kind of

that is long, with red skin and yellow flesh. *Chè bà cốt - made from expanded glutinous rice *Chè bách niên hảo hợp () – made from red beans, lotus seed, water lily bulb, and others

*

Sâm bổ lượng ''Ching bo leung'' (; also spelt ''ching po leung'' or ''qing bu liang'') is a sweet, cold soup of Chinese origin and commonly served in Cantonese cuisine, Hainanese cuisine and Guangxi cuisine. It is a type of ''tong sui''. It is known as ''s ...

- cold, sweet soup containing ''Coix lacryma-jobi'' var. ''ma-yuen'', dried longans, red jujubes, lotus seeds, thinly sliced seaweed, and sometimes other ingredients, with water, sugar, and crushed ice *Chè thưng - name translates to combo dessert in Vietnamese. One version is made from dried red jujube, peanut, and dried '' Auricularia auricula-judae'' fungus, while another is made from taro, cassava, green bean, sea weed, and water chestnuts

Savory chè (chè mặn)

*Chè lạp xường or chè lạp xưởng - made from Chinese sausage *Chè thịt quay - made from roast pork *Chè trứng đỏ - made from eggs and other ingredients *Chè trứng - served with boiled eggs, either hot or cold, in a sweet soup base or sweet tea

Foreign chè

* Bubur Cha cha or Bocha - a Vietnamese interpretation of a popular sweet soup originating from Malaysia and Singapore, found in Hanoi. *Chè Thái - a sweet fruit soup, which is believed to be a version of Thailand's

tub tim krob ''Thapthim krop'' ( th, ทับทิมกรอบ, ; literally 'crispy rubies') is one of the best known Thai desserts, having been named one of the world's best 50 desserts by ''CNN Travel''. It is made of cubes of water chestnuts soaked in ...

, but the Vietnamese version uses a variety of tropical fruits, while the Thai version uses strictly chestnuts. *Tàu hũ or Tào phớ - Douhua chè.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Che Vietnamese soups Cold soups Puddings Vietnamese desserts Vietnamese words and phrases