Egg coffee or che: choose your Hanoi pause

The national tourism guide identifies coffee and egg foam as the drink’s defining combination. The upper layer and the coffee underneath offer different textures; you can taste them separately before mixing to find a balance you enjoy. Sweetness, portion size and the precise recipe depend on the café. A photograph cannot confirm ingredients or tell you whether a particular serving contains milk or other additions.

The national tourism food guide describes a layered combination of red-bean and mung-bean pastes, glutinous-rice balls, herbal jelly, syrup and shredded coconut. It also mentions chè thập cẩm, a mixed version, and jasmine syrup. These examples explain the range of sensations to expect; they do not mean every seller includes all those ingredients. A mixed order suits someone who wants variety, while asking about a simpler combination can help a first-time visitor identify individual tastes. Do not infer an ingredient from its colour alone.