On the way back from Sothy’s Pepper Farm, we stopped at a roadside stand to buy some vegetables and corn. They were also selling coconuts filled with homemade coconut jelly, and Linda thought we should bring a couple home for dessert.
We ate them ice cold, straight from the fridge, and they were so good. The jelly was sweet and firm, but still had that nice bouncy texture, and the soft pieces of young coconut added a little extra bite.
In Khmer, coconut jelly is called cha houy doung, and along NR31, you’ll find several roadside stands selling this delicious dessert. It’s made with coconut water, coconut milk, sugar, jelly powder, and strips of soft young coconut. Everything is mixed together and heated, then poured back into the coconut shells and left to set before the coconuts go in the fridge. Each stand has its own recipe, so the flavor and texture can vary a little from place to place.
It’s such a good dessert, and I think Linda has a recipe for it, so next time I’m at Meas Family Homestay, I’ll have to make sure I get it from her.
