Vietnamese Iced Dried Longan Drink (Chè / Nước Nhãn Nhục)

When it starts to get warmer, this is the kind of refreshment that slaps. Is that what young people say these days?

Thanks to all the benefits from the assorted dried fruit, you can actually feel good about drinking it. It’s basically a healthy dessert!

Nước Nhãn Nhục (also known as Chè Nhãn Nhục) is a classic Vietnamese sweet drink (or sweet soup) starring dried longans over ice.

This drink often appears in Vietnamese restaurants here in the US, and whenever I see it on the menu, I am required to order it. It’s the rule.

Che Nhan Nhuc is incredibly simple to make. If the flavor tastes familiar, it’s basically a very simple version of Che Sam Bo Luong.

While dried longans are the star of the show, I’m tossing in a few extra dried fruits from my pantry to give the drink more body and flavor.

You can easily fish out the extra ingredients after boiling and discard them if you just want the broth with just longans, but you can certainly eat them too!

What You Will Need

To make a refreshing sweet soup or drink at home, gather these ingredients. I’ve also included the health benefits of each dried fruit, since many are used in traditional Asian wellness practices as “cooling” foods that help balance the body’s internal heat.

• Dried Longans (Nhãn Nhục): One of my favorite fruits. I love it fresh and I love it dried and canned. Here we are using the dried version. You can find the dried version in many Asian grocery stores. According to WebMD, it’s also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).
• Jujubes / Red Dates (Táo Đỏ): Also known as the Chinese date. Jujube fruit is high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. I mainly use this to naturally sweeten my tea, but I don’t like eating it because it’s fibrous and it does have a pit in the middle. Feel free to fish it out after making the tea or leave it as is.
• Goji Berries (Kỷ Tử): Goji berries, which some brand a “superfood,” and use to treat treat many common health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure. You often seen them in Chinese and Taiwanese hot pot dishes and savory soups as well.
• Rock Sugar (Đường Phèn): The most typical sweetener for these soupy drinks. Unlike heavily processed white sugar, rock sugar has a clean, mellow sweetness. You can also sub with use palm sugar or brown sugar and even regular granulated cane sugar. Amount may be less so add a little at a time, to taste.
• Aloe Vera (Nha Đam, optional): An add-on that I always have on hand because it grows like crazy in my garden. While many people use aloe vera gel as a home remedy to treat burns and moisturize skin, I love adding the cubes to these drinks. I’m essentially eating my moisturizer! It does need a bit of preparation so it’s not slimy, which I have full instructions for here.
• Pandan Leaves (optional): Simmering a knot of fresh pandan leaves in the pot adds a wonderful aroma. It’s essentially the vanilla extract of the East. Keep the leaves whole and tie them into a knot so they are easy to fish out later. If you can’t find fresh pandan, just skip it and don’t sub with pandan extract, or it will completely green-ify the drink.
• Water and Salt: Water to boil everything together and a pinch of salt. Just like when you bake, that little bit of salt is exactly what makes the rest of the ingredients perfectly balanced.

Tips for Success

• Rinse the dried fruit: Dried longans, jujubes, and goji berries can carry a little dust from the packaging, especially the bulk size packages from Asian supermarkets. If needed, give them a quick rinse under cold water in a strainer before tossing them into the pot.
• Plan for the ice: Because this drink is meant to be served over crushed ice, the broth straight from the pot should taste slightly sweeter than you actually want it. The melting ice will dilute and balance the sweetness perfectly.

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