Enticing Vietnamese Sweet Sticky Rice

Like sticky rice, like sweet soup – these sweet sticky rice dishes will surprise you!

Sticky rice and sweet soup are often paired together in Vietnamese worship trays. Additionally, there are dishes that combine both elements, such as Northern “bee” sweet soup, Quang-style sweet sticky rice, and Southern-style flavored sticky rice.

Northern “bee” sweet soup

During Lunar New Year and the Mid-Summer Festival on the 5th day of the lunar month of May, people in the North often prepare chè con ong, or “bee sweet soup”, as offerings. This Northern-style sweet sticky rice is crafted from sticky rice and molasses – two ingredients that have been close to the hearts of Vietnamese people since ancient times.

Chè con ong is quite the connoisseur when it comes to sticky rice. The grains must be whole, large, and plump, soaked overnight to perfection. The molasses must be of the finest quality, golden and sweet, cooked into a luscious syrup. Ginger is thinly sliced, and sesame seeds are roasted until they release a fragrant aroma that dances in the air.

Sticky rice lies in the steamer, enveloped by billowing steam. Each grain swells, becoming plump and fragrant. Once ready, it is transferred to a pan where the gingered syrup is boiling. The fire sings a lullaby as the syrup gradually seeps into the sticky rice, transforming its flavor and color. The sticky rice becomes increasingly sticky, shiny, and lustrous, resembling young bees huddled together. Sesame seeds chirp on its surface, adding a cheerful touch.

Here, I must hand over the stage to a true Hanoian connoisseur, journalist Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung: “On the plate of chè con ong, each grain is full and round, gleaming in a mesmerizing, translucent golden-brown hue, having soaked up the rich molasses. The scattered ivory-white roasted sesame seeds are like bright stars twinkling in a magical night sky.” (Ha Thanh Huong Xua Vi Cu, volume 1, Hanoi Publishing House 2022, p. 154)

She also carefully noted: “If cooked properly, it can stay good for up to ten days. However, if the weather is humid, it can only be kept until the seventh day of the first lunar month.” And the taste of the sweet sticky rice? “Sweet and fragrant… No matter how much you eat, you’ll always crave more.” (ibid, p. 155)

In 2013, a delightful shop called “My Grandma’s Sweet Soups” opened on Nguyen Huu Huan Street in Hanoi. The shop specialized in traditional treats, including chè xôi nén (compressed sweet sticky rice). Sticky rice and mung beans were steamed, then mixed with syrup and coconut milk. The sticky rice was pressed tightly in a mold, sprinkled with sesame, and cut into pieces. The diamond-shaped sweet sticky rice was beautifully adorned with a delicate layer of tiny, snow-white coconut flakes. The shop’s chè con ong was also prepared in the traditional style. Sadly, the shop only operated for a few years before closing its doors.

Quang-style sweet sticky rice

In ancient Quang Nam province, it was rare to find anyone who didn’t know about Quang-style sweet sticky rice, known as xôi đường. On every occasion of death anniversaries and Tet, xôi đường was always present on the offering tray alongside other traditional dishes.

First, black beans are boiled until soft with a pinch of salt. Sticky rice is then soaked in the black bean water for a few hours to absorb the color. It is then steamed to perfection – neither too dry nor mushy. Quang Nam’s natural sugar is cooked into a thick, golden-brown syrup with a warm gingery aroma. This syrup embraces the black beans and sticky rice, gently seeping in bit by bit, merging them into a scrumptious blend. 

Square molds or round plates are lined with green banana leaves and lightly rubbed with peanut oil to prevent sticking. The sticky rice is patted and pressed tightly, then topped with a layer of fragrant, golden roasted sesame seeds. Xôi đường is rich, chewy, sweet, and aromatic. It’s not flashy, but simple and straightforward, much like the character of the Quang Nam people.

Southern-style flavored sticky rice

If Northerners call their version “bee sweet soup” because its shiny grains resemble bees, and the Quang people call theirs “sweet sticky rice” simply because, well, the sticky rice is sweetened, Southerners decided to add a dash of mystery to their version’s name: xôi vị. “Xôi” means sticky rice, and “vị” can have a multitude of meanings in Vietnamese, making it a bit of a puzzle to figure out which one applies here.

Scholar Huynh Tinh Cua gave us a tiny clue when he described xôi vị as “sticky rice with added flavor and sugar” in the Dai Nam Quoc Am Tu Vi dictionary (Rey, Curiol & Cie Publishing House 1895, p. 1201). But what is that secret flavor he was hinting at? 

Well, it turns out the secret ingredient is “tai vị,” the Vietnamese common name for star anise. The Southern version swaps out ginger for star anise, likely influenced by the wave of Chinese immigrants who settled in South Vietnam during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Another highlight of Southern-style sweet sticky rice is the coconut milk mixed with sugar to make the syrup. Besides coconut milk, Southerners prefer using rich and sweet brown sugar or fan palm sugar. The fertile land of the South and the generous nature of its people are reflected in their enticing and colorful sweet sticky rice versions. There are three distinctive varieties: mung bean, magenta leaf, and pandan leaf. And let’s not forget the “mixed” version: “three-layer” sweet sticky rice.

Mung bean flavored sticky rice (xôi vị đậu xanh) features bright yellow mung beans mixed with ivory white sticky rice, topped with a thick layer of roasted sesame and peanuts. The dish is nutty, rich, and sweet, with the warm aroma of star anise lingering alongside the inviting scent of roasted peanuts.

Green pandan-flavored sticky rice (xôi vị lá dứa) has a sweet aroma reminiscent of young rice. Dreamy purple magenta leaf-flavored sticky rice (xôi vị lá cẩm) carries a light, intoxicating scent, much like jasmine. When there’s a layer of golden mung bean filling between the two, the “three-layer” sticky rice is as beautiful as a fairy descending to earth – a natural, elegant, and sweet beauty! Southern-style flavored sticky rice truly deserves to stand side by side with chè thưng in the Southern culinary treasure trove.

These sweet sticky rice versions hold immense traditional value, yet they seem to be receiving less and less attention. In an era where “sweet and starchy” dishes are being boycotted, these traditional sweet treats face a tough challenge. By reducing the amount of sugar appropriately and simplifying the recipes, while also promoting these traditional dishes, we can hope that Vietnamese sweet sticky rice will continue to be cherished in the future.

mlefood – Minh Lê