All About Chè Bánh Lọt

Fact: Chè bánh lọt is a popular summer dessert in Southern Vietnam.

Chè Bánh Lọt: Basic Information

Pronunciation

/ch-eh bahn lawt/

Alternative Name(s)

Bánh lọt, chè bánh lọt lá dứa, chè bánh lọt cốt dừa

Dish Type

Desserts, snacks, soups

Course

Dessert

Mealtime

Anytime

Popular Variations

Chè bánh lọt (classic version)
Chè đậu đỏ bánh lọt (with the addition of adzuki beans)
Chè bánh lọt đậu xanh (with the addition of mung beans)
Chè bánh lọt hạt lựu (with the addition of pomegranate seed-like balls)

Chè Bánh Lọt: Origin and Region

Origin

Vietnam

Continent’s Region

Southeast Asia

Country’s Region

Southern Vietnam

Associated Region

Unspecified

Chè Bánh Lọt: Ingredients and Preparation

Main Ingredients

Rice flour, pandan leaves, coconut milk, and sugar

Main Cooking Method

Boiling and simmering

Preparation Process

Preparing the rice flour jellies, boiling the rice flour jellies, making the coconut milk sauce, assembling chè bánh lọt

Chè Bánh Lọt: A Deep Dive

Cultural Significance

Popular summer dessert, often associated with Southern Vietnam

Taste

Sweet

Texture

Soft rice flour jellies

Aroma

Sweet and rich

Color

Green rice flour jellies in a white broth

Serving Style

In a bowl or cup

Serving Temperature

Cold

Accompaniment

No accompaniment

Occasions

On any occasions

Seasons

Year-round

Special Diets

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Calories

355 calories in one cup of chè bánh lọt

Popularity

Vietnam, especially in Southern Vietnam

Popular Similar Dishes

Bubur Cha Cha
Thapthim Krop
Halo-halo
Tong Sui
Falooda
Es Teler

Popular Dining Area

Local households, street vendors, cafes, restaurants

Chè bánh lọt, or bánh lọt, is a traditional Vietnamese sweet soup based on cendol, a sweet dessert originating in Indonesia. It is mainly popular in the southern region, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.

Chè bánh lọt consists of green, elongated, jelly-like rice flour jellies served in a sweet broth of coconut milk and sugar with ice.

The jellies, which contain tapioca starch and are colored with pandan juice, are also known as bánh lọt. Palm sugar is the preferred sweetener for this street food.

Many people believe chè bánh lọt was introduced to Vietnam through Thailand, where it is known as lod chong.

The name “bánh lọt” literally means “secreted” or “slipping-through jellies,” referring to the process of running the dough through a perforated cendol press to make the jellies.

Chè bánh lọt sometimes features various additional ingredients, such as split mung beans, adzuki beans, and hạt lựu.

Hạt lựu, literally “pomegranate seeds,” are small, red balls made from tapioca starch or water chestnuts.

There are many other interesting facts about chè bánh lọt waiting for you, such as the pros and cons of this iced dessert. I will also delve into commonly asked questions about chè bánh lọt and recommend similar dishes.

Key Points

Chè bánh lọt is a Vietnamese dessert made with strips of pandan rice flour jelly and coconut milk.
Chè bánh lọt is a common Southern Vietnamese summer dessert.
Chè bánh lọt was derived from cendol in Indonesia.
There can be extra ingredients in chè bánh lọt, such as split mung beans, adzuki beans, or pomegranate seed-like balls.

Chè Bánh Lọt Images

Pros and Cons of Eating Chè Bánh Lọt

Chè bánh lọt comes with the following strengths and weaknesses.

Pros

Flavorful Experience: Chè bánh lọt offers a light yet satisfying taste, combining the creamy goodness of coconut milk with the mild flavor of chewy rice flour jellies. In addition, pandan juice adds a distinctive, aromatic flavor to the jellies.
Cultural Experience: Trying traditional dishes like chè bánh lọt can be a delightful way to experience Southern Vietnamese cuisine as well as street food culture.
Refreshing Nature: Since chè bánh lọt is usually served with ice, it is particularly refreshing in hot weather.
Dietary Flexibility: Chè bánh lọt is both gluten-free and vegan-friendly, allowing many people to enjoy it.

Cons

High Sugar Content: Like many desserts, chè bánh lọt typically features a large amount of sweetener, so it might not be ideal for people who want to limit their sugar intake.
Preparation Time: Making chè bánh lọt from scratch, especially the rice flour jellies, can be a time-consuming process.

After discussing the upsides and downsides of chè bánh lọt, I will proceed to answer frequently asked questions about this Vietnamese dessert.

Chè Bánh Lọt FAQs

Yes, you can make the pandan rice flour jellies for chè bánh lọt at home without a cendol press. Simply press down the dough through a kitchen colander or even a strainer with a spoon.

Yes, you can add fresh fruits to chè bánh lọt, though they aren’t popular accompaniments for this dessert. Jackfruits, longans, and bananas are a few suitable options.

While the rice flour jellies in chè bánh lọt can be frozen for 2 – 3 months, the coconut milk broth isn’t suitable for long-term freezing. Therefore, you should store chè bánh lọt in an air-tight container in the fridge, where it can stay for 2 – 3 days.

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Truc Tran (Kris)

Senior Food Editor

Expertise

Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Recipe Development, Baking and Pastry, Food Editor, Cooking-video Maker, Vietnamese Food Evaluation Expert

Education

Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) at TasTAFE
Culinary Arts at Kendall College (Australia Branch in Sydney)
Vietnamese Cuisine Head Chef at HNAAu School (Vietnam, International Joint Training Program)

Truc Tran (Kris), an experienced food writer and editor, is great at exploring and describing global cuisines, from simple street food to fancy dining. In her writing, she skillfully mixes different flavors, cooking methods, and culinary traditions, showing the unique character of various cultures through their food and drinks. On azcuisines.com, Kris highlights her knowledge, especially in Asian cuisine and worldwide traditional dishes.