Che Ba Mau — three-colour bean and jelly dessert
Chè ba màu — "three-colour che" — is a Vietnamese sweet drink/dessert with three distinct layers in a tall glass: red kidney bean at the bottom, yellow mung-bean paste in the middle, green pandan jelly on top, all crowned with crushed ice and coconut milk.
i. Origin & history
Chè ba màu is part of the vast Vietnamese chè family — sweet soups and chilled drinks served over ice. It is a fixture of southern Vietnamese street stalls and the diaspora.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 4 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 100 g cooked sweet red kidney beans (canned, drained)
- 100 g cooked sweet mung-bean paste
- 50 g pandan jelly cubes (or 50 g grass jelly)
- 400 ml thick coconut milk
- 60 g sugar
- Pinch salt
- Crushed ice
iii. Method
- Heat coconut milk with sugar and salt until just simmering. Cool.
- In each tall glass, layer red beans, mung bean paste, and pandan jelly.
- Top with a generous mound of crushed ice. Pour over cooled coconut milk. Eat with a long spoon, mixing on the way down.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Chè dau xanh is mung-bean only. Chè thai uses jackfruit. Chè bưởi uses pomelo. The full che family includes hundreds of named versions.
vi. Common questions
What is che ba mau?
Che Ba Mau is three-colour bean and jelly dessert, from vietnamese cuisine.
Where is che ba mau from?
Che Ba Mau is from the vietnamese dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does che ba mau keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: Components 2 days separately.