Grand Mercure Hanoi - Upscale hotels & resorts

(Updated on September 24th 2024)

Hanoi’s che lam cake is a long-standing specialty made from an attractive traditional recipe of the people of Hanoi. This cake is chewy like gum candy, has a nutty, sweet and fragrant taste of ginger and often appears on holidays and Tet in the North. This is a precious gift that tourists can buy to bring back to give to friends and relatives after a trip to explore Hanoi.

Hanoi’s che lam cake is made from main ingredients including glutinous rice flour, molasses, malt, ginger, and roasted peanuts. In the North, this dish used to often appear on holidays and New Year to help people express their respect to Buddha. Nowadays, che lam cakes are quite popular and can be purchased at any time of the year.

Che lam cake must be eaten properly to fully enjoy its delicious taste. Northerners often enjoy che lam with a hot cup of tea over conversations. That is also the reason why che lam cake is often made and sold during Tet holidays –  a time when people reunite and gather with family.

However, nowadays there is no need to wait for Tet, che lam cake also appears at various times of the year. The weather is starting to get cold, which is the ideal time to enjoy this sweet, fragrant ginger-scented cake. Sweet and savoury che lam cake combined with hot fragrant green tea will help you enjoy winter days to the fullest.

Below are some places to find delicious che lam cake in Hanoi for tourists:

1/ Che Lam cake by Kim Cuc

– Address: alley 159 Huu Hung Street, Tay Mo District

– Price range: VND30.000 – VND50.000

2/ Che Lam cake by Anh Dao

– Address: The Sparks CT8C Tower, Ha Dong District

– Price range: VND30.000 – VND50.000

3/ Che Lam cake by Hong Lam

– Address: Hong Lam stores in Hanoi

– Price range: VND18.000 – VND40.000

4/ Che Lam cake by Nep Huong (since 1990)

– Address: 42 Nguyen Dinh Chieu street, Hai Ba Trung District

– Price range: VND35.000 – VND70.000