Milk tea

Milk tea is loved for its light and refreshing flavor, as its milk base prevents it from being overly sweet. It comes with many different toppings: various beans, lotus seeds, tapioca pearls, black jelly, purple sticky rice, durian, etc., each with its own unique, delicious, and appealing flavor. Red bean milk tea is rich and creamy; purple sticky rice milk tea is chewy, fragrant, sweet, and good for health and skin; and durian jelly milk tea (with jelly and durian) is popular among young people because it has a flavor that is both modern and traditional, quite similar to the famous Thai dessert. To further appeal to food connoisseurs, some shops also add chewy tapioca pearls, which are very enjoyable.

My favorite is the durian jelly milk pudding, with its colorful, cool, and fragrant jelly pieces that melt in your mouth, along with the sweet and creamy taste and slightly bitter aftertaste of durian. Durian jelly milk pudding isn't as intensely sweet as Thai pudding, making it suitable for diners with milder palates.

Milk pudding is quite easy to make: wash and boil the beans, cook the sugar syrup, and mix in the milk. The main highlight is the milk, made from coconut milk, condensed milk, and fresh milk, skillfully adjusted to create a mixture with just the right amount of sweetness, a light and refreshing taste, a slightly thick consistency, and a subtle creamy aroma of coconut milk.

The milk pudding is simply but harmoniously presented, pleasing to the eye. The red of the beans and the purple of the black sticky rice stand out against the white of the milk, further enhanced by the golden roasted peanuts. Served at the shop, the pudding is presented in a bowl to clearly show the ingredients, creating a sense of fullness and appeal. While eating it in a glass is quick and convenient, serving it in a bowl is much more enjoyable and visually pleasing!

On a hot summer day, there's nothing better than enjoying a glass of sweet milk tea, both refreshing and energizing. Sweet tea is a joy for children, with its vibrant colors and sweet flavors. The 200 or 500 dong ice cream carts with their tinkling sounds every summer afternoon, the glistening shaved ice syrup in the sun, the delicate pink candy held in the skillful hands of the vendors, and the long, lingering taffy candies are unforgettable childhood memories for those from Hue .

Hue is striving to become the " culinary capital" of Vietnam with hundreds of types of sweet soups (che). The hot, humid climate here motivates talented chefs to create many refreshing and detoxifying desserts. The ancient capital is rich in natural ingredients such as beans, cassava, fruits, and herbs; with just a little variation and a touch of sweetness, a perfect bowl of sweet soup can be created. Enjoying sweet soup together in a cheerful and cozy atmosphere is also a way for the people of Hue to strengthen their bonds of love.

Text and photos: Thuc Dan