Chè trôi nước

Chè trôi nước is a Vietnamese dessert of glutinous rice dumplings filled with mung bean paste and served in a sweet syrup. The syrup may be clear or brown and is made from water, sugar and grated ginger root. The dessert is generally eaten warm and is garnished with sesame seeds and coconut milk. Its name is usually translated as floating dessert wading in water, and it is also called chè xôi nước in southern Vietnam and bánh chay in northern Vietnam. It is often served during Lunar New Year or, more recently, during the Cold-Eating Festival, which falls on the third day of the third lunar month. In southern Vietnam three bowls of chè xôi nước are customarily prepared for Tết Ông Táo, the farewell to the kitchen god on December 23. Two northern Vietnamese desserts, bánh trôi and bánh chay, are similar, and the dish also resembles the Chinese tangyuan.