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3 Vietnamese sweets make top 100 in Asia

Samira Vishwas | December 4, 2025 12:24 PM CST

By Phuc Trinh &nbspDecember 3, 2025 | 07:01 pm PT

Vietnam’s coconut jelly, three-color dessert, and sticky rice ball sweet soup have been named by international food magazine TasteAtlas among Asia’s top 100 desserts this year.

The list is based on more than 40,000 ratings, around 15,000 of which were verified by TasteAtlas as of Nov. 15, 2025.

Layered for is cut into bite-sized cubes. Photo by VnExpress/Chang Chep

The highest-ranking entry is for six (coconut jelly) at number 29. Made with agar and a gelatinous seaweed, it has a panna-cotta-like wobble and is vegetarian-friendly. The jelly is layered with coconut milk, condensed milk and flavors such as chocolate or vanilla.

At number 62 is chea always (three-color dessert). It gets its name from the layers: yellow mung beans, red azuki beans, and green pandan-flavored jelly. Everything is mixed with coconut milk and topped with crushed peanuts.

Last year, chea always was also named one of Asia’s top 100 desserts by TasteAtlas, placing at 82nd.

Glasses of That ba Mau feature three layers of red beans, mung beans, and pandan jelly. Photo courtesy of Authentic food quest

Ranked number 87 is what harm or sticky rice balls in ginger syrup.

It is made of rice balls filled with mung bean paste and coconut milk that float in a ginger-palm-sugar syrup.

It is scented with pandan and topped with coconut milk and roasted sesame seeds.

It is believed to have originated from Chinese tangyuan or glutinous rice balls served in a sweet syrup, but over time has become a Vietnamese classic.

Rice ball sweet soup is served with sesame seed and coconut milk. Photo by Thu Ky

At the top of the list is chomchom from Bangladesh, a sweet made by cooking milk in sugar syrup until it turns caramel-like.

It is followed by Turkey’s antakya kunefesi, a dessert of shredded pastry filled with melted cheese, and dondurma, a slow-melting ice cream known for its chewy texture.