Visiting an 80-year-old dessert stall in Ho Chi Minh City, a Korean visitor was amazed by the distinctive flavors of che hot ga tra (tea-infused egg dessert) and bot nang hot ga (tapioca starch with raw egg).

Rediscovering Vietnamese cuisine

Choi Jongrak, a Korean content creator residing in Ho Chi Minh City for over five years, is well-known for exploring the culinary traditions of Vietnam and South Korea on his YouTube channel, which boasts over one million subscribers.

Jongrak often shares experiences of trying unique Vietnamese dishes, including those that many foreign tourists might shy away from, such as blood pudding (tiet canh), fertilized duck eggs (trung vit lon), and fermented shrimp paste (mam tom).

In a recent video, he visited a long-standing dessert stall on Tran Hung Dao B Street in District 5 to sample che hot ga tra and bot nang hot ga, two of the shop’s bestsellers.

The dessert stall, run by Ly Thanh Ha, the fourth-generation owner, has been in operation since 1938, serving a variety of traditional Vietnamese desserts.

The tea-infused egg dessert experience

Jongrak first tried che hot ga tra, which involves boiling hard-boiled eggs in tea for about two hours.

This process gives the eggs a dark, glossy appearance with a firm exterior and soft interior.

Served cold with ice, the dessert is a popular choice for its refreshing qualities.

Initially hesitant, Jongrak noted the egg’s slightly sweet taste and the aromatic infusion of tea, expressing his surprise at how the flavors blended seamlessly.

“The egg was still warm, even though the dessert was served cold. Eating eggs with tea was a completely new experience for me, but it was delicious,” he remarked.

Tapioca starch with raw egg: a surprising delight

The next dish, bot nang hot ga, was served hot and prepared by cracking a raw egg into a bowl of steaming tapioca starch.

Diners mix the egg into the starch to cook it gradually while eating.

Although some might find the idea of eating raw egg unusual, Jongrak praised the dish for its smooth texture and lack of any strong eggy smell.

“The tea dessert had a slight smell of egg, but this one didn’t at all. It was incredibly soft and truly delicious,” he said.

A historic dessert stall

Ly Thanh Ha shared that her grandmother, who migrated from Guangdong, China, to the Cholon area in 1938, opened the dessert stall.

Initially known as Chau Giang, the shop became affectionately referred to as “Che Cot Dien” (electric pole dessert) due to its proximity to a large electric pole, and later as “Che Ma” (ghost dessert) for its late-night hours.

The shop offers around 20 types of desserts, including lotus seed, green bean, red bean, black sesame, longan, ginkgo, and sam bo luong (a cooling sweet soup).

Each dessert is served in small bowls, priced between 20,000 and 30,000 VND (approximately $0.82–$1.23).

The stall operates from 3 PM until midnight, attracting customers who often order multiple varieties to savor a wide range of flavors.

Thao Trinh