Che Thai: Tropical Fruit and Jelly Cocktail Recipe
Che Thai is a vibrant Vietnamese dessert featuring a colorful mix of tropical fruits, jellies, and creamy coconut milk. This refreshing treat combines rambutan, longan, jackfruit, toddy palm seeds, ai-yu jelly, nata de coco, and pomegranate seeds, all chilled and served with crushed ice to create a cool, sweet, and textured delight perfect for warm weather or anytime you want a light, fruity dessert.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits and Jellies
- 1 can rambutan
- 1 can longan
- 1 can sweet jackfruit (or fresh jackfruit slices)
- 1 can toddy palm seeds
- 1 can ai-yu jelly or other grass jelly
- 1 can or jar nata de coco (coconut jelly)
- ½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
Liquid and Additions
- 2 cups coconut milk (or cream or half & half)
- ¼ cup crushed ice per serving
Instructions
- Prepare the fruits and jellies: Chop the rambutan, longan, jackfruit, toddy palm seeds, ai-yu jelly, and nata de coco into small bite-sized pieces such as squares and strips for easy eating.
- Reserve fruit juices: For each canned fruit you use, save about half of the juice; this will add both sweetness and enhanced flavor to the dessert mixture.
- Mix ingredients: In a large bowl, combine all the chopped fruits and jellies with approximately a quarter to half of their reserved canned fruit juices and the coconut milk or cream of your choice.
- Chill the mixture: Stir everything gently to blend the flavors, then refrigerate the bowl for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Serve: When ready, spoon the chilled Che Thai into serving glasses and top each portion with ¼ cup of crushed ice to add a refreshing crunch and coolness to the dessert.
Notes
- You can substitute canned jackfruit with fresh jackfruit for a more intense flavor and texture.
- Using half coconut cream and half coconut milk will create a richer, creamier dessert.
- Adjust the amount of canned fruit juice based on your preferred sweetness level.
- For a vegan-friendly version, ensure all canned ingredients are free of gelatin and other animal products.
- Crushed ice is essential for that refreshing texture characteristic of Che Thai.
Keywords: Che Thai, Vietnamese dessert, tropical fruit cocktail, coconut milk dessert, refreshing dessert, fruit jelly dessert
