Che lam is Duong Lam’s best-known sweet: a firm, chewy slab of toasted sticky rice flour bound with molasses or sugar, flavoured with fresh ginger and studded with whole roasted peanuts, then cut into bars and dusted with rice flour.
Families in the village still make it by hand, and it is served with green tea to almost every visitor who sits down in an old house. The best way to understand it is to press a batch yourself in a family kitchen.
Press your own che lam
Our half day stops at a family kitchen where you make a batch and eat it warm.
★Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourThe laterite lanes, a 400-year-old house and a che lam kitchen, with your own guide · About 5.5 hoursSee the tour →Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourDuong Lam in depth, lunch cooked in an old house, then the pagoda where water puppetry began · About 9 hoursSee the tour →How che lam is made
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Toast the rice | Glutinous rice is roasted and ground into a fragrant flour |
| 2. Cook the syrup | Molasses or sugar is boiled with sliced fresh ginger |
| 3. Mix | Flour and roasted peanuts are worked into the hot syrup |
| 4. Press | The dough is pressed into a tray while still warm |
| 5. Cut and dust | Cut into bars and rolled in rice flour so they do not stick |
The skill is in the syrup: too thin and the bars crumble, too thick and they turn hard. Families judge it by eye and by a drop on a plate.
The other village sweets
Alongside che lam you will often be offered keo lac, a brittle peanut candy, and banh gai, a dark sticky rice cake wrapped in leaves and filled with mung bean. All three travel reasonably well if you want to take some home.
Make it rather than just buy it
The che lam kitchen is a stop on our half day in Duong Lam.
Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourAbout 5.5 hoursSee the tour →Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourAbout 9 hoursSee the tour →Where to try it
Tea and che lam are offered in most old houses that receive visitors, and several families sell packets. For the story of the houses themselves, see our guide to the old houses, and for the village overall, our Duong Lam visitor guide.
Questions people ask
What is che lam made of?
Toasted glutinous rice flour, molasses or sugar, fresh ginger and whole roasted peanuts.
Does che lam contain nuts?
Yes, peanuts, so it is not suitable for anyone with a peanut allergy.
How long does che lam keep?
About a week at room temperature, longer in a sealed container.
A sweet morning in Duong Lam
Car, licensed guide, ticket and the che lam kitchen in one price, free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourThe laterite lanes, a 400-year-old house and a che lam kitchen, with your own guide · About 5.5 hoursfrom$45/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$165BOOK →2 guests$170BOOK →3 guests$175BOOK →4 guests$180BOOK →See the full tour page →Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourDuong Lam in depth, lunch cooked in an old house, then the pagoda where water puppetry began · About 9 hoursfrom$93/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$275BOOK →2 guests$305BOOK →3 guests$340BOOK →4 guests$370BOOK →See the full tour page →Recipe steps as made by village families, recorded in September 2026; ingredients vary a little by household.