Ever tried Chè Thái? This tropical Vietnamese fruit cocktail is light and refreshing, but also sweet and bursting with flavor! I recommend serving these Vietnamese Spring Rolls for dinner, then enjoying this Chè Thái recipe for dessert!
If you've never had Chè Thái, first of all, you're missing out! This refreshing Vietnamese dessert drink is hard to describe to someone who's never tried it. It's kind of like a sweet soup, fruit cocktail, drink, and dessert all in one.
If you're wondering where the name "Chè Thái" comes from, I have an answer! It's believed that this dessert is a Vietnamese spin on the Thai dessert, Tub Tim Grob (also sometimes spelled "tub tim krob" or "tub tim krop.")
Both desserts feature a base of coconut milk and eye-catching "red rubies", which are actually water chestnuts dyed red with food coloring.
So, the "Thai" part of the name is pretty self-explanatory. "Chè" (pronounced "je"), in Vietnamese, means "desserts". This word is found in the names of many Vietnamese drinks, sweet soups, and puddings, including Che Ba Mau and Che Dau Trang.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe is very easy to make and forgiving!
- You can customize this recipe by adding your favorite fruits and jellies.
- Fresh fruit can be used in this Che Thai recipe, but you can get away with using only canned fruit!
- The sweetness level of this recipe can be easily adjusted to personal preference.
- Che Thai is the perfect dessert for summer parties and get-togethers, as it's refreshing and can be made in a punch bowl and ladled into cups for easy serving!
- Finally, this is the perfect recipe to make after learning about exotic fruits and uncommon berry types in our last post!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Toddy palm seeds: This is the delicious fruit from toddy palm trees, also sometimes called "ice apples."
- Coconut jelly cubes: Just like the ones you can order with your boba! You can also use mango jellies, lychee jellies, or whichever kinds you like. Fresh coconut would also make a good substitute!
- Longan: I used fresh because I happened to have some, but I recommend using canned longans because it's much easier. You can also use canned lychees instead of or along with canned longans.
- Rambutan: Again, I used fresh rambutans but I recommend using canned.
- Jackfruit: I strongly recommend not substituting this ingredient, but if you absolutely must, you can use pineapple instead.
- Pandan Jelly: You can also use ai-yu jelly or grass jelly.
- Mangosteen: These are entirely optional, I just used them because I had them!
- Water chestnut: These will be those eye-catching "red rubies". I used sliced but you can use whole. If you can't find water chestnuts you can also use jicama or a firm apple.
- Coconut milk: You can also use half & half.
- Cream of coconut: This is what I use to sweeten the milk, but you can also use condensed milk, sugar, simple syrup, or syrup from any of the canned fruits.
*Find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card on the bottom of the post
🥥 How To Make Che Thai
Step 1: Cut water chestnuts into quarters, regardless of whether they are whole or pre-sliced. Add 4-5 drops of red food coloring and stir to combine. Mix in tapioca starch, coating evenly.
Step 2: Use a strainer or collander to remove extra starch before adding the "red rubies" to 2 inches of boiling water. Stir to prevent rubies from sticking together, then boil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until they float. Remove rubies and add to an ice bath for 10 minutes.
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Pro Tip: You want the red rubies to be gelatinous on the outside, and crisp on the inside. They should somewhat resemble pomegranate seeds.
Step 3: Drain jackfruit and cut into thin slices, then cube pandan jelly. If using mangosteens, use a serrated knife to cut through the rind, then harvest the white fruit. I recommend leaving the largest pieces out of the mixture as they often have pits.
Step 4: Drain toddy palm seeds, coconut jellies, longan, and rambutans (if using canned). Add them to a large bowl along with jackfruit, pandan jelly, mangosteens, and the red rubies once they have cooled.
Pro Tip: I recommend reserving the syrup from one of the canned fruits, that way you can use it as extra sweetener for the Che Thai if you want it sweeter.
Step 5: Pour coconut milk and cream of coconut into the same bowl, then mix thoroughly until combined. Adjust sweetness to taste, if necessary. Cover bowl and chill in the fridge 2-3 hours before serving.
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Che Thai is a Vietnamese dessert consisting of coconut milk, flavored jellies, and canned fruits such as jackfruit, rambutan, lychee, longan, and toddy palm seeds.
Yes! The soft and fibrous flesh of toddy palm fruit is used in many Asian beverages and desserts. The seeds inside the fruit, sometimes called "ice apples", are also edible and are used in desserts such as Che Thai.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- To make this dessert even more refreshing, serve it over ice!
- You can store Che Thai in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Be aware that the longer you store the Che Thai, the more the red food coloring will begin to turn the milk pink.
- If you have other tropical fruits you want to add to your mixture, feel free to experiment!
🍍Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chè Thái
Ingredients
- 4 oz water chestnuts (canned)
- 4-5 drops red food coloring
- ⅛ cup tapioca starch
- 6 oz jackfruit (canned)
- 8 oz pandan jelly (canned)
- 3 oz mangosteen (fresh)
- 6 oz toddy palm seed (canned)
- 8 oz coconut jelly (bottled)
- 6 oz longan (canned or fresh)
- 6 oz rambutan (canned or fresh)
- 13½ oz coconut milk (canned)
- 7½ oz cream of coconut (canned)
Instructions
- Cut water chestnuts into quarters, regardless of whether they are whole or pre-sliced. Add 4-5 drops of red food coloring and stir to combine. Mix in tapioca starch, coating evenly.
- Use a strainer or collander to remove extra starch before adding the "red rubies" to 2 inches of boiling water. Stir to prevent rubies from sticking together, then boil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until they float. Remove rubies and add to an ice bath for 10 minutes.
- Drain jackfruit and cut into thin slices, then cube pandan jelly. If using mangosteens, use a serrated knife to cut through the rind, then harvest the white fruit. I recommend leaving the largest pieces out of the mixture as they often have pits.
- Drain toddy palm seeds, coconut jellies, longan, and rambutans (if using canned). Add them to a large bowl along with jackfruit, pandan jelly, mangosteens, and the red rubies once they have cooled.
- Pour coconut milk and cream of coconut into the same bowl, then mix thoroughly until combined. Adjust sweetness to taste, if necessary. Cover bowl and chill in the fridge 2-3 hours before serving.
Notes
- You want the red rubies to be gelatinous on the outside, and crisp on the inside. They should somewhat resemble pomegranate seeds.
- I recommend reserving the syrup from one of the canned fruits, that way you can use it as extra sweetener for the Che Thai if you want it sweeter.
- To make this dessert even more refreshing, serve it over ice!
- You can store Che Thai in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Be aware that the longer you store the Che Thai, the more the red food coloring will begin to turn the milk pink.
- If you have other tropical fruits you want to add to your mixture, feel free to experiment!
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