Hai Phong Coconut Ice Cream - a popular summer treat

In addition to the rows of bright red royal poinciana trees, Hai Phong summer also leaves an impression on diners with a cup of sweet and fatty coconut ice cream.

Coconut ice cream is available in many places, but Hai Phong coconut ice cream is one of the specialties known to many people. Hai Phong people have a saying: "The rain soaks the ground, coconut ice cream soaks for a long time, eating it for a long time is cool to the heart." The smooth white cup of coconut ice cream with thick coconut milk has a rich, sweet taste that directly affects the taste buds of the eater from the first try.

Coconut jelly is a popular snack in Hai Phong in the summer. — Coconut jelly is a popular summer snack in Hai Phong.

Coconut ice cream has been around in Hai Phong for a long time but really became famous about 5 years ago. One of the first places to sell coconut ice cream in Hai Phong is Hien Beo Coconut Ice Cream on Lach Tray Street (Ngo Quyen District). The shop is also on the Hai Phong Culinary Map list published by the Hai Phong Department of Tourism.

With over 40 years of experience selling soft drinks, Ms. Hien, the shop owner, said she has been selling coconut ice cream for over 10 years. Initially, her shop was located opposite 118 Lach Tray, near the turn to An Bien Lake. About 3-4 years ago, the shop moved to 124 Lach Tray.

The front of the shop is quite spacious, with about 10 plastic tables and chairs for 4 people. At the busiest time, it can serve about 30 customers at the same time. In the morning, the shop's address is in a small alley next door, sold by the staff. From 2:30 p.m., the shop opens at 124 Lach Tray, selling until about 10 p.m. every day. The shop's peak hours are usually from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (before the train departs) and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On a normal day, Ms. Hien sells an average of 1,000 - 2,000 cups of coconut ice cream. On the three weekends, there are many food tour guests and out-of-town guests, up to 3,000 cups. Because customers often order large quantities to take home, Ms. Hien pre-packages the coconut ice cream into cups and stores them in ice boxes. "This not only saves customers time but also keeps the flavor of the coconut ice cream longer," Ms. Hien shared.

Coconut is the main ingredient to make Hai Phong coconut ice cream. A cup of coconut ice cream includes coconut milk, coconut meat, coconut jelly, fresh milk, condensed milk and homemade tapioca pearls. Ms. Hien said that she usually chooses fresh, young coconuts so that the coconut meat is soft. The coconut ice cream made from young coconut meat is richer, sweeter and has a stronger aroma than old coconut, and is also thicker and smoother.

Mrs. Hien's coconut milk is ground from young coconut meat, filtered and cooked for 4 hours, stirring constantly. Part of the coconut meat is shredded. Coconut jelly is made from pure coconut water, cut into thin slices, longer than 5 cm. The tapioca pearls are ivory white with a slightly yellow tint, larger than the tip of a pencil, and have no filling.

Holding the cup of coconut ice cream in hand, just stir it once and you will get a spoonful of topping. The fresh coconut is crunchy, the tapioca pearls are soft, the coconut jelly is smooth, clear. All the ingredients are covered in a layer of thick, fatty coconut cream, fragrant with coconut milk, creating a rich sweetness. A cup of coconut ice cream costs 20,000 VND.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Huong ( Hanoi ) visits Mrs. Hien's shop every time she returns to Hai Phong to enjoy and buy some to take home. A regular customer for 6 years, Ms. Huong said she has tried coconut ice cream at several other shops in Hanoi and Hai Phong but found the taste not to her liking. "The coconut milk here is thick, fragrant, fatty and sweet. The toppings are almost full in the cup, but my favorite is the coconut jelly, which feels cool when eaten," she said. After enjoying it, she also bought 20 cups of coconut ice cream to take home.

Hai Phong coconut ice cream is a dish for coconut lovers. However, coconut ice cream has a rather strong sweetness, so it is not suitable for those with a light taste or who like to eat bland food. Trinh Thi Hong Hanh (23 years old, Hai Phong) said she does not often eat coconut ice cream even though her house is near the shop. "A cup of coconut ice cream is also sweet, so it is easy to get bored of it. Most shops make it in advance, so it is impossible to adjust the flavor to suit your taste," Hanh said.

Coconut is one of the yin fruits, has cooling properties, helps reduce urinary and intestinal problems, helps strengthen the immune system, and is beneficial for the digestive and cardiovascular systems.

The best time of day to eat and drink coconut products is in the morning or at noon. Do not eat or drink coconut late at night, as it can easily cause colds and affect your bones and joints. Coconut should not be eaten at the same time as seafood (which is also cold and can easily cause colds) and chocolate (which hinders the body's absorption of calcium), according to the District 6 Medical Center information portal, Ho Chi Minh City.

Hai Phong coconut ice cream is in high demand during hot weather days. After a food tour with savory dishes, enjoying a cool cup of coconut ice cream will help diners cool down.

Article and photos: Quynh Mai

Source link