Chè

Chè is one of those discoveries that starts with a rather odd first impression. We came across it for the first time in Hanoi, at a colourful street stall lined with bowls of all sorts of unusual ingredients piled next to one another. Red beans, black pearls, neon green jellies, translucent yellow bits, all served with coconut milk. Let us just say that our first visual reaction was rather sceptical. It looked nothing like what we would normally think of as a dessert.

But we felt like trying, as always. And in the end, this discovery turned out to be delightfully surprising.

Chè is actually a whole family of traditional Vietnamese desserts rather than a single recipe. Each version has its own name and its own composition, but they all follow the same logic. A mix of textures and flavours assembled the moment it is served, usually in a small bowl or a tall glass, and enjoyed with a long spoon. You might find mung beans, red or black beans, tapioca pearls, grass jelly, cubes of sweet potato or purple taro, pieces of jackfruit, corn, green pandan noodles, and of course creamy coconut milk. There are hot versions and cold versions with shaved ice, and easily dozens of variations depending on the region and the season.

What first surprised us was this explosion of textures in a single mouthful. The creaminess of the coconut milk, the softness of the beans, the chewy bounce of the tapioca, the coolness of the jellies, the tender bite of the fruits. Every spoonful tells a different story, and you spend your time trying to work out what exactly you are eating. The flavour itself is gentle, vegetal, never cloying, very far from the intense sweetness of our Western desserts.

Chè is a good illustration of that very Vietnamese way of taking simple, humble ingredients and turning them into something thought out down to the last detail.