Che: Vietnam's Universe of Sweet Soups and Desserts

Che refers to a sprawling category of traditional Vietnamese sweet beverages, puddings, and desserts. These dishes are incredibly diverse, made with a wide array of ingredients including various beans, tapioca, jellies, fruits, and coconut cream. Che can be served hot or cold, eaten with a spoon from a bowl, or sometimes drunk from a glass. Each variety is typically named with a descriptive word or phrase following "che"—such as "che dau do" (red bean che).

While che can be prepared at home, it's also commonly sold in plastic cups at Vietnamese grocery stores and by street vendors. In northern Vietnam, "che" also refers to the tea plant itself, with brewed tea often called "nuoc che" in the North or "tra" more commonly nationwide.

The Building Blocks of Che

The versatility of che comes from a vast range of ingredients. Many varieties feature different types of beans, tubers, and glutinous rice, cooked in water and sweetened with sugar. Coconut cream is a frequent garnish, especially in southern Vietnam. Beyond these staples, you might find salt, aloe vera, seaweed, lotus seeds, sesame seeds, sugar palm seeds, taro, cassava, and pandan leaf extract. Some che, like "che troi nuoc," even include dumplings.

Each ingredient carries its own history—some tied to regions, others to seasonal availability or family tradition. A Hue specialty made from moon beans, for instance, traces back to imperial court kitchens. A northern dumpling che called "che con ong" (literally "bee sweet soup") gets its name from its honey-like appearance and is traditionally prepared as an offering to ancestors during Tet.

Bean and Pulse Varieties

Beans form the backbone of many che dishes, offering a range of textures and flavors.

Che dau den (black bean) is one of the most popular varieties, especially in northern Vietnam. Che dau do features whole azuki beans—rarely ground. Che dau trang uses black-eyed peas and is often simply called "che dau" in the South due to its commonality. Regional specialties include che dau ngu from Hue, made with moon beans and historically reserved for imperial tables, and che dau van, also from Hue, made from hyacinth beans.

Mung bean variations are equally diverse. Che dau xanh uses whole mung beans, while che dau xanh danh features ground mung beans. Che dau xanh rong bien combines mung beans with kelp. A northern specialty, che hoa cau, uses ground, skinless mung beans shaped into betel nut flowers—a labor-intensive preparation for a delicate dessert.

Grains, Tubers, and Starches

These varieties often yield thicker, more pudding-like textures.

Che bap (corn) is made with corn kernels and tapioca, often resembling rice pudding. Che khoai lang uses sweet potato; che khoai mon features taro. Che sac lan incorporates sliced cassava, while che khoai my uses cassava flour. Each preparation yields a distinctly different mouthfeel—some creamy, others chunky.

Che hat lua uses lotus seeds; che com is made from young, green rice and carries a subtle, grassy flavor. Che hat sen (lotus seed che) and che sen dua (lotus with coconut water) are lighter options, often served cold in summer.

Jellies: Texture and Refreshment

Jellies bring a unique, often refreshing texture, especially when served cold. Che thach or che rau cau is made from agar-agar and can be flavored or left plain. Suong sam is a jelly made with Tiliacora triandra extract; suong sao refers to grass jelly. These cold desserts are popular relief from Vietnam's heat.

Image by Jess Lander from Los Angeles, CA, USA via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

Dumplings and Filled Che

Che with dumplings offer a textural contrast and often carry surprising fillings.

Che tro nuoc (or Banh chay) features glutinous rice flour balls filled with mung bean paste, served in a thick, clear or brown liquid made from water, sugar, and grated ginger root. Che bot loc uses small cassava and rice flour dumplings. Che banh xep wraps green beans in a tapioca skin dumpling and serves them in a coconut milk base.

Fruits and Seasonal Options

Fruits bring natural sweetness and often lighter, more refreshing profiles. Che chuoi (banana che) is made with tapioca and traditionally served warm. Che dua hau features watermelon; che nhan uses longan. Che trai cay is a mixture of different fruits—pineapple, watermelon, apple, pear, mango, lychee, dried banana, cherry, and dried coconut—often served with milk, yogurt, and syrup.

Mixed and Multi-Ingredient Che

Many che are combinations of various ingredients, offering complex interplay of textures and flavors.

Che ba mau ("three colors che") typically includes green mung beans, white black-eyed peas, and red azuki beans, though any three-color combination works. Che thap cam ("ten-ingredient sweet soup") is a popular mixture of black-eyed peas, azuki beans, lotus seeds, mung beans, coconut, syrup, ice cream, milk, and tran chau (tapioca pearls)—essentially, whatever the vendor has on hand.

Che ba ba combines taro, cassava, and a type of long sweet potato with red skin and yellow flesh. Che thung ("combo dessert") comes in variations: one includes dried red jujube, peanuts, and dried Auricularia fungus; another features taro, cassava, green beans, seaweed, and water chestnuts.

Image by Alberto Korda via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

Savory Che (Che Man)

While most che are sweet, a few savory exceptions offer different flavor profiles. Che lap xuong is made with Chinese sausage. Che trung is served with boiled eggs in a sweet soup base or sweet tea. Che bot loc heo quay uses dumplings filled with roasted pork.

Regional and Foreign-Influenced Variations

Vietnam's dessert landscape includes che influenced by neighboring cultures. Bubur cha cha (or Bocha)—found in Hanoi—is a Vietnamese interpretation of a popular sweet soup from Malaysia and Singapore. Che Thai is believed to be a version of Thailand's tub tim krob, using tropical fruits instead of the Thai version's water chestnuts.

The Endless Exploration

This overview only scratches the surface. Each region, city, and family may have unique variations, making che a truly endless exploration of Vietnamese dessert culture. Street vendors in Hanoi specialize in different varieties; Hue claims its imperial recipes; families pass down secret ingredient combinations across generations. To understand Vietnamese food is to understand che—not as a single dish, but as a philosophy of sweetness, texture, and resourcefulness.