Durian and Coconut Jelly Cake (Agar) - Rau Cau - Friday, May 30, 2014

Dish of the day: Durian and Coconut Jelly (Agar) Cake (Rau Cau)

Where it’s found: Supermarkets and dessert street vendors; I got mine at The University of Science during the Children’s Day (and end-of-the-year) celebrations there. The durian-flavoured one is less easy to find than other flavours though.

Breaking it down: 3 layers (brown, green and white) of agar (a non-animal-based gelatin), durian and coconut, tapioca starch, cold water, sugar

To celebrate Children’s Day on June 1^st, the nearby University of Science in Ho Chi Minh City had a festival, held by the university students.  Different students sold their food, snacks, art, jewelry, music and services like tarot-card and palm reading.  I didn’t have long to explore the stalls of the festival, but I got to sample a bunch of snack foods and talk to a lot of excited students (who all wanted me to visit their stalls!), which was a fun experience. 

Right before leaving, I was pulled into trying a durian and coconut jelly cake (Rau Cau) that in fact, really did have quite a strong durian aroma and taste! It had 3 layers, each a different colour – green, white/transparent and brown.  I’m not the biggest fan of jelly-like food, yet, it was better than I expected and since it’s a Vietnamese specialty, I’m glad I gave it a shot.  The heart-shaped mould and the sweet and excited students at the stand were just so cute, too.