Published:  00:00 Thursday - November 06, 2008

"Chè” is a Vietnamese term that refers to any traditional Vietnamese thick, sweet dessert soup or sweetened porridge. Sweetened porridge is a kind of sugary flavored beverage which is protein-rich.

As such, it may, with the addition of qualifying adjectives, refer to a wide variety of distinct soups or puddings, which may be served either hot or cold. Some varieties, such as “chè xôi nước”, may also include dumplings.

Chè are often prepared with one of a number of varieties of beans and/or glutinous rice, cooked in water and sweetened with sugar. Other ingredients may include tapioca starch, salt, and pandan leaf extract. Each variety of chè is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word chè, such as chè đậu đỏ (red bean sweetened porridge), chè đậu đen (black bean sweetened porridge) and so on.

In southern Vietnam, chè are often garnished with coconut milk. Chè may be made at home, but are also commonly available freshly made in plastic containers, in Vietnamese grocery stores. If you would like to prepare yourself, you could use the following recipe to cook Taro Sweetened Porridge, a kind of very delicious one.

Ingredients:

- 0.4 kg taro.

- 0.25 kg sticky rice.

- 0.5 kg caster sugar.

- 0.3 kg grated coconut flesh.

- 1/2 liter water.

- 1/2 teaspoon salt.

- vanilla.

Equipment:

- Bowl, plate and spoon.

- Pot and stove.

- Filter.

- Grater.

Preparation Steps:

1. Wash and drain sticky rice.

2. Wash and cook taro until well done.  Peel and dice taro.

3. Grate coconut flesh into a bowl to extract coconut milk with water (0.5liter).  Add 0.5 liters of water to extract coconut flesh for the second time.

4. Boil the second coconut juice and add the sticky rice. Continue to cook until well done.  Allow water to evaporate.

5. Add diced taro and sugar to the mixture.  Simmer for about 20 minutes then stir the  mixture constantly to avoid  sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Stop cooking and add vanilla.  Stir regularly for about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat when the water has evaporated. Taro sweetened porridge should be thick and consistent.

6. Serve hot or cold  with the first coconut  juice.

Recommendations: When  sweetened porridge is cooked, make sure the grains do not lose their shape.

Then, you together with your family members can enjoy bowls of Taro Sweetened Porridge. So delicious!

More Vietnamese Drink:

• Bottoms up!

• Vietnamese wine

• "One cup of tea, please!"

• Hanoi’s coffee culture, like no other

• Nuoc mia, or sugar-cane juice