All About Chè Bưởi

Fact: People in Hanoi love to enjoy chè bưởi in autumn.

Chè Bưởi: Basic Information

Pronunciation

/ch-eh boo-oy/

Alternative Name(s)

Dish Type

Desserts, snacks, soups

Course

Dessert

Mealtime

Anytime

Popular Variations

Chè Bưởi: Origin and Region

Origin

Vietnam

Continent’s Region

Southeast Asia

Country’s Region

Mekong Delta

Associated Region

Unspecified

Chè Bưởi: Ingredients and Preparation

Main Ingredients

Pomelo pith, mung beans, tapioca starch, coconut milk

Main Cooking Method

Boiling and simmering

Preparation Process

Preparing pomelo pith, cooking split mung beans, cooking the ingredients in water, making coconut milk sauce

Chè Bưởi: A Deep Dive

Cultural Significance

Traditional Vietnamese sweet dessert with a uniquely mellow flavor

Taste

Sweet

Texture

Tender mung beans and crunchy pomelo pith cubes

Aroma

Fragrant and aromatic

Color

Golden mung beans and yellowish-white or translucent pomelo pith cubes

Serving Style

In a bowl and eaten with a spoon

Serving Temperature

Cold

Accompaniment

No accompaniment

Occasions

On any occasions

Seasons

Year-round, especially in the fall

Special Diets

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Calories

400 calories in 3.5 ounces (or 100 grams) of chè bưởi

Popularity

Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta and Hanoi

Popular Similar Dishes

Bubur Cha Cha
Thapthim Krop
Cendol
Halo-halo
Tong Sui

Popular Dining Area

Local households, street vendors, restaurants

Chè bưởi, literally “pomelo sweet soup,” is a traditional Vietnamese sweet soup with roots in the Mekong Delta.

It is also popular in Hanoi as a fall treat, while people in the Mekong Delta serve it year-round. Long Xuyen City in An Giang Province boasts many well-known chè bưởi places.

Chè bưởi is made from pomelo pith (the spongy white part beneath the pomelo rind), split mung beans, coconut milk, and tapioca starch.

Since pomelo pith is very bitter, this ingredient needs to be processed carefully to make this delicate street food.

I will show you an overview of how to make chè bưởi before going into the upsides and downsides of this dessert. Next, I will cover common concerns and similar dishes of this unique sweet soup.

Key Points

Chè bưởi is a Vietnamese sweet soup invented in the Mekong Delta.
Chè bưởi is also beloved in Hanoi as an autumn dessert.
The main ingredients of chè bưởi are pomelo pith, mung beans, coconut milk, and tapioca starch.
Pomelo pith has to be prepared carefully to get rid of its bitterness.

How to Make Chè Bưởi?

The process of preparing chè bưởi involves the following 6 steps.

Step 1: Rinsing Pomelo Pith

Remove pomelo pith from the rind and cut it into small cubes. Rinse them carefully with salt water to reduce their bitterness.

Step 2: Parboiling and Marinating Pomelo Pith

Boil the pomelo pith cubes in water with limewater or lime juice. Remove them when the water is clear. Rinse the pomelo pith cubes with water vigorously, then marinate them in sugar.

Step 3: Preparing Mung Beans

Soak split mung beans in water, then steam them until tender.

Step 4: Preparing Pomelo Pith Cubes

Mix the pomelo pith cubes with tapioca starch before boiling them in water. Remove them when the starch is done, then soak them in cold water (to make them crunchy).

Step 5: Cooking Chè Bưởi

Boil sugar and pandan leaves (optional) in water, then add the mung beans, pomelo pith cubes, and additional tapioca starch.

Step 6: Preparing Coconut Milk Sauce

Boil coconut milk with tapioca starch and sugar. Serve the sauce with chè bưởi.

While the preparation process of chè bưởi seems like a bit of a hassle, this dessert soup has many advantages to make up for it. Read on to find out what they are!

Pros and Cons of Eating Chè Bưởi

Chè bưởi has the plus and minus points below.

Pros

Unique Flavor: Pomelo pith offers a distinctive sweetness with subtle notes of spiciness and bitterness. This exotic flavor mixes flawlessly with the richness of mung beans and coconut milk.
Refreshing Texture: The crunchiness of pomelo pith provides a satisfying contrast from the softness of split mung beans.
Nutritional Value: The ingredients in chè bưởi, like mung beans, pomelo pith, and coconut milk, can provide protein, fiber, and certain vitamins.
Dietary Versatility: Chè bưởi is an ideal dessert for people following a plant-based or gluten-free diet.
Zero-waste Dessert: Chè bưởi represents an effective way to use up pomelo rinds.

Cons

Sugar Content: Like many desserts, chè bưởi can be high in sugar, so people who want to cut down on sugar shouldn’t consume this dessert too much.
Preparation Time: Making chè bưởi can be quite labor-intensive, especially the process of preparing the pomelo pith.
Availability: Outside of Vietnam, it might be challenging to find authentic chè bưởi.

Chè Bưởi FAQs

The reason why chè bưởi has a bitter taste is that you either cut into the zest and released the essential oil or didn’t rinse the pomelo pith hard enough.

Yes, grapefruit pith can be a suitable substitute for pomelo pith to make chè bưởi. However, grapefruits tend to be smaller and have thinner pith than pomelo, so getting the pith out of them can be more difficult.

No, pomelo pith cubes shouldn’t be soft or soggy but crunchy and easy to bite. To give the pomelo pith cubes a good crunch, you should soak them in cold water immediately after boiling them with tapioca starch.

No, chè bưởi can’t be frozen since freezing will seriously compromise its taste and flavor. However, you can store chè bưởi in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 1 – 2 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.