Cha Houy Teuk
ចាហួយទឹក
A cooling glass of grass jelly, sago pearls and jellies in sweet syrup and coconut over crushed ice — Phnom Penh's classic hot-afternoon dessert drink.
By Cambodian Cookbook Kitchen · June 28, 2026
ភ្នំពេញ Phnom PenhRecovery era, 1979–1993
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
By the late 1980s, Phnom Penh's markets were coming back stall by stall, and among the first things to return were the sweet-drink carts. Cha houy teuk — grass-jelly water — is one of those recovery-era comforts, a tall glass of cubed grass jelly, translucent sago pearls and jewel-colored jellies swimming in palm syrup and salted coconut milk over a heap of crushed ice. It is a Chinese-descended dessert, close cousin to the chè and cendol of the region, long naturalized in the capital of four rivers and four cuisines. That it reappeared so early, when so much else was still rubble, says something plain and true: people wanted a small cold sweetness back in their day, and the cart cooks gave it to them.
Making it well is mostly about texture and temperature. The sago must cook fully clear then get shocked cold so the pearls stay separate and bouncy; the grass jelly brings a faint herbal bitterness that keeps the whole glass from turning sugary; the coconut milk needs a pinch of salt to stop it tasting flat. Beyond that, it is assembly and generosity — layer the jellies, pour the smoky palm syrup to taste, flood it with salted coconut, and bury it all in ice. Serve it on the hottest afternoon you can find, with a long spoon and a straw wide enough for a sago pearl to climb.
Cook the sago until it is fully clear with no white speck at the center, then shock it in cold water so the pearls stay separate and bouncy.
ពាក្យពីចុងភៅ · A word from the kitchen
Ingredientsគ្រឿងផ្សំ
Serves 4
០ of ៩ gathered
The jellies and pearls
Syrup and coconut
To serve
Methodវិធីធ្វើ
Step 1: Cook the sago
Boil the pearls in plenty of water, stirring, until fully translucent with no white core, twelve to fifteen minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water so they stay loose and springy rather than clumping.
Step 2: Make the palm syrup
Simmer palm sugar, water and knotted pandan until the sugar dissolves into a fragrant amber syrup, about five minutes. Cool it — this is the sweetness that ties the whole glass together.
Step 3: Salt the coconut
Warm the coconut milk with a pinch of salt just until it loosens, then cool. The salt keeps the coconut from tasting flat and rounds out the sweetness; skip it and the drink falls a little slack.
Step 4: Prepare the jellies
Cube the grass jelly and any colored agar jellies into small, spoonable pieces. Keep everything cold — this is a dessert that lives or dies by how cold it lands.
Step 5: Build the glass
Layer grass jelly, sago and jellies into tall glasses, pour over palm syrup to taste, then a generous splash of salted coconut milk. Top with crushed ice and serve with a long spoon and a fat straw.
ឧបករណ៍ · The tools
Equipment
Spider strainer
ចម្រងLift blanched noodles, fried shallots, and spring rolls clean out of hot water or oil in one scoop, before they overcook or turn soft.
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Questions from the kitchen
What exactly is grass jelly?
Grass jelly is a soft, dark-brown set jelly made from a mint-family herb, faintly bitter and herbal, sold canned or in tubs across Southeast Asia. That gentle bitterness is what keeps cha houy teuk from being cloying — do not swap it for plain sweet jelly.
Can I make the jelly from scratch?
You can, from grass-jelly powder, and it is easy — bloom, boil and set it as the packet directs. But the canned block is genuinely good and what most Phnom Penh stalls reach for, so start there without guilt.
How sweet should it be?
Sweet but not aggressive, with the palm sugar's smoky depth doing most of the work and the salted coconut pulling it back. Dress each glass to taste rather than pre-mixing — everyone likes it a little different.
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