Sticky rice balls
This gooey, sweet dessert is served hot and usually topped with white sesame seeds. The chewy, glutinous rice ball is stuffed with mung bean paste and cooked in a fragrant ginger syrup. Che troi nuoc roughly translates to “fulfilment” and this dessert is often eaten on a child’s first birthday and other traditional holidays such as Tet, the Vietnamese New Year.
Black sesame soup
From first glance it doesn’t look like something you’d be eager to ingest; it is a thick, black syrup usually sold by street vendors. It gets its color from the main ingredient – black sesame seeds – and is not overly sweet. It has a rich, toasted sesame taste and is normally eaten as a mid-afternoon snack in Hoi An. Portions are small, served hot, and contain the herb pennywort, which is said to have strong healing properties.
Coconut sticky rice
Xoi dua is one of the many Vietnamese dishes that’s made with sticky glutinous rice. Although sticky rice is usually served with savoury ingredients, many restaurants serve it as a dessert by adding fresh fruit, coconut, and sesame seeds. A popular variation of xoi dua is xoi la dua, which consists of sticky rice made with pandan leaves, sugar, coconut milk, and topped with sesame seeds.
Fried dough
Banh tieu is the dessert you never knew you were missing in your life. The crispy, fried dough is perfectly sweet and covered in white sesame seeds, adding a crunchy texture and perfect balance of sweet and savory. Banh tieu is the ultimate monsoon season treat – what could be better than kicking back with a hot cup of tea and some of these little doughnuts while listening to the rhythm of the rain falling outside.
Peanut brittle
Peanut Brittle is a specialty of Duong Lam, a traditional village about 55 kilometers west of Hanoi. Locals believe the recipe was handed down from the concubine of Lord Trinh Trang, who had helped rebuild Mia Pagoda and taught the villagers how to make sweets using sugar cane. Today, this candy bar-like treat is made by combining roasted peanuts, sugar, and malt, using traditional methods that have existed since the 17th century.
Fried banana
Fried banana is basically whole bananas that are dipped in batter and fried until crispy. Sold by numerous roadside vendors in Vietnam, especially Hoi An, these piping hot snacks are great for rainy days as they’re crunchy on the outside but warm, sweet and caramelised on the inside. If you’re ordering fried banana at a restaurant, chances are that it’s served with a scoop of coconut ice-cream.