In the past, coconut candy was considered a gift for neighbors during memorial days and traditional holidays. Later, thanks to its mild sweetness, rich flavor, and distinctive creamy aroma, in 1999 this Mỏ Cày coconut candy was officially branded as “Bến Tre Coconut Candy” and exported to many countries around the world.

Today, international visitors know Vietnamese cuisine not only through steaming bowls of pho or the elaborate, elegant, and visually stunning royal dishes of Hue… but also remember the rustic, simple yet sweet taste of coconut candy.

The raw ingredients may seem quite simple at first—just white coconut meat and malt syrup—but in reality, making delicious coconut candy requires experience, as these two components are the core elements that determine the candy’s distinctive flavor.

In Bến Tre, many varieties of coconut are grown, such as pandan coconut, dau coconut, wax coconut, fire coconut… but to obtain thick and delicious coconut meat, the green dwarf coconut is the most suitable. The coconuts must be fully mature and not overripe, because only coconuts with thick, chewy, pure white flesh can produce high-quality coconut milk with moderate viscosity, slightly translucent rather than cloudy, meeting the requirements for mixing with malt syrup to create an attractive color.

Malt syrup is made by fermenting sprouted glutinous rice. The rice grains must be large, healthy, and free from pests, watered with clean rainwater. Once the grains begin to sprout, they are processed into malt syrup. The syrup must have a mild sweetness, a chewy texture, clarity, and a natural golden-brown color.

Coconut candy is created after coconut milk and malt syrup are mixed together and the mixture is cooked using traditional steam-heating technology.

From the core ingredients of coconut and rice, the people of Bến Tre have added new colors to coconut candy by incorporating the distinctive flavors of local specialties such as durian, peanuts, and pandan leaves… Each variety has its own unique taste while still preserving the fundamental coconut flavor, making the products more diverse and improving their quality.

The primary and indispensable ingredient for making coconut candy is, of course, coconuts. However, to create the authentic flavor of Bến Tre coconut candy, it relies on the unique techniques of the craft. This includes the method of selecting raw materials and proprietary recipes. The process of making Bến Tre coconut candy, in the eyes of local people, is truly an art. First, great care must be taken in selecting ingredients. The glutinous rice used for making malt syrup must be spring-season rice, with large, evenly matured grains. The rice fields chosen must not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The rice grains are watered with clean rainwater to sprout before being cooked into malt syrup.

The process of cooking malt syrup itself is an art that requires patience, meticulousness, and skilled craftsmanship. The coconuts used for candy making are also selected very carefully. They must be coconuts that have just begun to dry in order to achieve the most characteristic coconut flavor, mild sweetness in the coconut milk, and the distinctive richness of coconut candy. The raw sugar used must also be high-quality, fresh, with a bright turmeric-yellow color and a certain elasticity… All of these, combined with skill, experience, and expert candy-pulling techniques, create batches of fragrant, rich, and consistently delicious coconut candy that satisfy even the most discerning gourmets.

Today, the people of Bến Tre have created many varieties of coconut candy with different flavors that captivate visitors from near and far, such as cocoa coconut candy, durian coconut candy, and peanut-filled coconut candy… Each variety has its own distinctive taste while still preserving the fundamental coconut flavor. Many coconut candy producers with familiar brands such as Thiên Long and Ngọc Hương have brought coconut candy to provinces across the country and exported it overseas. It can be said that coconut candy has become an integral part of Vietnam’s cultural, culinary, and tourism journey.

There is nothing better than enjoying fragrant, sweet coconut candy while sipping a cup of hot tea. Bến Tre Coconut Candy – the harmony between modernity and tradition that creates the vitality of a timeless, traditional flavor.

“Bến Tre with its long, fresh rivers

At Mỏ Cày market, famous candy is found

Mỏ Cày candy is both fragrant and rich

Mỏ Cày girls are skillful and kind…”