Are you looking for something refreshing for the summer season? Che Thai is a popular Thai fruit cocktail, best recognized by its signature presentation: brightly colored fruits bobbing in a glass of white milk. If you have not already tried this Vietnamese fruit cocktail, we assure you you will love it!
Moreover, you do not have to go to a unique Vietnamese restaurant to get a drink when you can make one yourself. This guide will help you do that with our all-natural ingredients and easy-to-follow and healthy recipe.
As a bonus, we have added a full recipe card at the end. So, get ready to start your day with a refreshing dessert that is much more than a drink.
The Overview – Che Thai
When you first see the drink, you will notice it contains tropical flavors due to the combinations of yellow, green, and red colors. These fruits are finely chopped into tiny pieces to give this flavorful drink a pleasant and refreshing look.
Some people hesitate to give it a chance because they fear it will not be as authentic as the original Vietnamese dessert. However, this worry is no longer widespread with the ready availability of canned fruit at any nearby store. In addition, they include all the fruits you’ll need, and they’ve all been sliced up to save you time.
This famous Che Thai drink consists of coconut milk, jellies, chewy fruit slices, and sweet cocktail bites. All you need to do is pour and fill in the cup, and the total time it takes is hardly twenty minutes, and you are good to go! So, grab your pen and paper as we discuss each ingredient and the detailed instructions for preparing Che Thai at home.
The Red Food Coloring
Some of you might be aware of the Halo-Halo or Tub Tim Krop. These desserts have a lot in common with Che Thai. Tub Tim Krop contains sweet water chestnuts, coconut jelly, and ice cubes. However, Che Thai will revolve around fruits that look like cubes making a flavorful sweet soup. Think of it as the Vietnamese version of the famous Tub Tim Krop.
So let’s start by making red jellies according to the recipe. Che Thai contains a base of red-colored cubes, often known as red rubies. The typical combination includes canned fruits like lychees and Ai Yu jelly with Tapioca starch. However, you do not have to stick with the same.
That is what makes Che Thai so unique. It gives you the freedom to try and explore your options. Therefore, you can go for anything red in color, and some people do not like red fruits like pomegranate seeds and grass jelly. Whatever the reason, you do not have to compromise your diet plan or risk your health.
Take the most convenient fruits that align with your health and cover them with red food coloring. There you have it! Your red rubies are like any other water chestnuts. Remember to coat the pieces with Tapioca Starch if you use the color.
Tapioca starch will act as a binder and prevent the food coloring from coming off or mixing with water. After you prepare your fruits, you need to boil them for floating purposes.
However, add a minimal amount and cook at intervals. When you see the fruit pieces floating, immediately remove them from the pan and add them to an iced water bath. They become chewier if dipped for a longer period of time. Thus, follow the instructions as per your taste.
Preparing the Fruits
Next, we have fruit preparation. If you are using your fruits due to health measures, you may go with yellow and green food colorings here too.
However, for someone who likes the canned fruit idea to save time, leave the preserved syrup inside for later use. The best fruits here are Jackfruit for its yellow color and the grass jelly for getting that greenish look. However, remember that you can adjust everything to your taste.
Coconut Jelly
The coconut is the foundation of our drink; we’ll need both the juice and the meat to complete the recipe. You will require a punch bowl for mincing coconut meat. However, if you do not have a punch bowl, you may use the regular milkshake maker. Some people also use the half-and-a-half for heavy whipping cream.
Those who like to make their drinks taste sweet can add a few drops of the leftover sweetener from the canned fruits. Also, ensure you use fresh coconut for the juice since it will allow more drinks and provide a higher quantity.
Now, grab your glasses and pour in your coconut milk but first fill them up with the red base we prepared in the first step. Next, add tapioca pearls and yellow and green fruits and stir the mixture. Then, you can pour in the coconut milk to fill up the glasses and refrigerate for up to two hours. This way, everything will smoothen a bit before the drinks are served.
Tapioca Starch
This section is essential for those who want to prepare fruits and jellies. Whether you go for all the canned fruit options or do it yourself, boiling water is involved. Therefore, we use tapioca starch to prevent food colors from wearing off.
Tapioca starch helps coat the fruit slices and allows them to float on the drink like pearls. Most people add tapioca pearls to enhance the look of their smoothies and cocktails.
Therefore, you will need Tapioca starch to dip your slices every time you put them inside the boiling water. So, we recommend preparing a small dish filled with starch to help coat your fruits side by side.
What Is Vietnamese Che?
Vietnamese dessert, or Vietnamese Che, comes from a sweet drink or beverage blended with pudding and sweet soup. In addition, the word Che means any sweet dessert. Like Che Thai, we have another famous dessert from Vietnam, Che Ba Mau, representing the three-colored dessert.
Moreover, it takes the word Thai from the famous Thai dessert, Tim Krob. Thus, these two combinations give the origin of this soothing drink, which we now call Che Thai. Che Thai is easy to make and works best when guests arrive at your house suddenly and run out of ideas to serve, and you only need a can of fruits and a fresh coconut when this happens.
It started gaining popularity due to the easy recipe that anyone can make at home and the quick steps. Therefore, you may prepare it within minutes and carry the glass to your bed to enjoy drinking while watching your favorite movie with ease.
It is essential to note that the mixture for coconut meat may be made using a juicer but do not add fruits or jellies. Doing so would spoil the authentic Che Thai, and you will get light-colored white milk cream.
Why Should You Try Che Thai?
Che Thai is a drink you can make in no time. Do you ever feel like skipping a meal but do not want to sleep on an empty stomach? You can have this all-famous drink to improve sleep. So if you weren’t planning on having dessert after your meal but then changed your mind, Che Thai is a nice option because it doesn’t require any particularly unique ingredients.
Moreover, Che Thai consists of all healthy and natural options. Thus, it does not make you consume anything that may be alarming. It is also helpful in managing insomnia and an excellent way to start your day fresh.
Likewise, Che Thai is customizable, so you can switch and swap the ingredients as per your taste buds. There is no obligation to stick to the typical Jackfruit, lychee, and grass jelly recipe, and you will still have the same drink to your liking. Thus, you may use regular full-cream milk if coconut milk is not available.
In addition, on warm, sunny days, you may blend Che Thai with some ice and a lemon for a refreshing smoothie to have on the beach. Equally, if you’ve been trying without success to incorporate Chia seeds or any other herb into your diet, Che Thai can assist you do so.
Che Thai comes with a pattern of colorful flavors and textures, making it kids friendly as well. It is also a people-pleasing dessert for large gatherings and an excellent drink to introduce your kids to new fruits.
Now that you have enough reasons to try this fantastic and refreshing Vietnamese sweet soup, follow the recipe card’s instructions and surprise your friends by hosting a small party.
Ingredients
Easy Chè Thái Recipe (Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail)
Below are all the instructions discussed above but in a more summarized form. So, if you are in a hurry or noting the steps down on a piece of paper, this section is for you.
Are you ready to light up a spark with this refreshing Vietnamese fruit cocktail? Whether you like it sweet or sour, Che Thai will become your go-to companion every Summer season. Given that you can easily whip one up in your own kitchen, there’s really no reason to second-guess your decision to give it a shot.
This article provides the complete recipe with easy-to-follow instructions, so you have a guide in case you feel stuck. So, what are you waiting for? Get ready to give it a go because we believe you will love it!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
