Hello everyone. Today, I would like to share with you a unique dish in Vietnamese culinary culture which is Chè. In Vietnamese cuisine, there are two indispensable dishes on the feast on special occasions, especially on death anniversaries, worships and Tet holiday. They are sticky rice - "Xôi" and sweet soup "Chè".
According to folklore researchers, Xôi and Chè are the dishes to remind the imprint of the wet rice agricultural cultural tradition - the traditional culture of Viet Nam. They also represent the hope for a fruitful and sweet life of the Vietnamese people.
In those two dishes, Chè is one of the famous street food in Vietnam. I still remember how happy I was when I heard the sound and saw the vendor in my village with a burden of Chè on her shoulders.
Based on how to cook Chè, they can be divided into two types: diluted soup, and thick soup. Chè is usually made quite simply, but it requires care in selecting ingredients and cooking. The main ingredients used to make Chè are beans, nuts, tubers and fruits. Another indispensable ingredient to create the sweetness of tea flavors is sugar.
And today, I'm happy to show you how to make black bean sweet soup which is called "Chè Đậu Đen" in our mother language. The ingredients I use include homemade black beans and palm sugar.
Black beans are one of the commonly grown crops in my hometown - Quang Nam province which is located in the central of Viet Nam. When the long dried black beans turn black dried, they will be harvested. Then, we leave them on the floor yard to dry them. After that, we put them in a large bag, hit them with a large stick to separate the seeds and shells. Next, we use a fan to blow away the dry shell to get the beans.
Palm sugar is a specialty of An Giang which is located in southwestern Viet Nam. An Giang province’s palm sugar is a natural sweetener made by boiling the sap from the sap of only Palmyra Palm bouquets and fruits. Because of no bleaching and no chemicals added in the process of production, its unique flavor can be recognized, and sweetness and aroma still remain.
Now, it would be a step-by-step guide on how to make Chè Đậu Đen
Put black bean seeds into a pot.
Get rid of the bad beans.
Wash the beans and discard floated beans and remove dirt.
Add water to the beans and soak them overnight.
After soaking, the beans will be in a big size. Discard the soaking water, wash black beans again.
Put them into a pot, add water higher than the bean top level.
Heat water to boiling, then lower the heat to simmer it.
Cover the pot with a lid and heat until the beans turn soft.
Add sugar to the pot, stir the mixture on low heat to prevent burning for about a few minutes. Then, put a few slices of ginger to make the flavor better.
Keep in mind that delicious black sweet soup requires the seeds were not cracked, but bitten into the powder and melted in the mouth.
Now, it's ready to scoop out a bowl and enjoy its taste.
It can be enjoyed hot in cold seasons, or as a refreshing snack or dessert with ice in warm seasons. For me, I prefer to enjoy the hot black bean sweet soup - Chè Đậu Đen Nóng.