Method
- Make the palm sugar syrup: combine palm sugar, water and pandan leaves in a small pot. Simmer 8 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens slightly. Cool. Discard pandan.
- Warm the coconut milk gently with salt — never boil. Cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the toppings: have the cubed grass jelly, red beans, sago pearls and (if using) tapioca pearls in separate bowls.
- To serve: in each tall glass, layer 2 tbsp of red beans at the bottom. Add 2 tbsp grass jelly cubes. Add 1 tbsp sago and 1 tbsp tapioca pearls.
- Add a generous amount of shaved ice — to the brim. Drizzle 2 tbsp palm sugar syrup over the ice. Pour cool coconut milk to fill three-quarters.
- Serve immediately with a long spoon. The drink is meant to be stirred together by the diner — the grass jelly and beans against the sweet coconut and ice is the architecture. Eaten as an afternoon dessert in Phnom Penh's hot season.
Common questions
Can Cha Houy Teuk be made ahead?
Cha Houy Teuk is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 0 minutes.
Is Cha Houy Teuk spicy?
Cha Houy Teuk as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Cha Houy Teuk vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Cha Houy Teuk to make at home?
Cha Houy Teuk is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 15 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Cha Houy Teuk be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Cha houy teuk is the Cambodian dessert drink — sold from glass-sided pushcarts in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and at every street market. The grass jelly (called cincau or hsian-tsao) has Chinese origins; the drink reached Cambodia via Chinese-Cambodian merchants and was thoroughly Khmerised. The dish is found in similar forms across Southeast Asia (Thai chao kuay, Vietnamese suong sa) but the palm-sugar-and-coconut syrup is the Cambodian touch. Modern variations include adding tapioca pearls (boba), purple yam or mango chunks; the original is just grass jelly, beans and coconut.
