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You are probably wondering, what makes Vietnamese-style yogurt different than other types? If you know anything about Vietnamese cuisine, the answer will not surprise you. The “secret ingredient”, just like in our cà phê sữa đá affogato recipe, is sweetened condensed milk.

Vietnamese style yogurt is smooth and sweet, with varying degrees of creaminess depending on whether you use whole milk, reduced-fat milk, or even water. The perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness of sữa chua makes it perfect to be eaten by itself or as part of desserts. As a kid, I loved buying Vietnamese yogurt made and frozen in little plastic baggies from street vendors. You simply bite a corner open and chew on the sweet frozen yogurt like ice cream!

Yogurt in Vietnamese is sữa chua, which literally translates to “sour milk”. It is also referred to by the French word “yaourt”- pronounced in Vietnam as za-ua or ya-ua, depending on the regional accent. As the name suggests, it was likely brought to Vietnam by the French.

One of my favorite Vietnamese desserts is sữa chua nếp cẩm, which combines the yogurt with sticky rice. Check out the recipe here!

INGREDIENTS FOR SỮA CHUA

• Sweetened condensed milk – Sữa đặc có đường: Even though “Cà phê sữa đá” literally translates to “Coffee milk ice”, the milk is always sweetened condensed milk. You can technically use any sweetened condensed milk, but the tried and true for Vietnamese people is Longevity Brand, aka Sữa Ông Thọ.
• Milk – Sữa tươi: I recommend using whole milk for the creamiest result, but you can also use reduced-fat milk. The ratio of condensed milk to regular milk is 1:3.
  To save money or reduce dairy consumption, some people will also use water instead of milk.
  If you use water, change the the ratio to 1:2.5 to prevent the yogurt from being too runny.
• Yogurt – Sữa chua: Pre-made yogurt will provide the bacteria cultures needed to cause the fermentation of milk, creating more yogurt. You will need unflavored, unsweetened yogurt. I recommend whole milk yogurt, but you can use any type as long as it contains active bacteria cultures – check the packaging when you purchase.

DIRECTIONS FOR SỮA CHUA

1. Add jars and lids to a large heat-proof bowl, then pour in boiling water to cover, making sure to fully fill all the containers.
2. Let sit for 5 minutes, then carefully remove, empty, and let place upside down to air dry. I like placing them on a cooling rack inside a baking tray to catch excess water.
3. Measure out the amount of yogurt you need and set on the counter. Letting the yogurt come to room-temperature will help it combine more easily with the warm milk later.
4. Add condensed milk and whole milk to a pot or sauce pan.
5. Heat on medium low (2/10), whisking/stirring gently and continuously. You should see and feel the condensed milk dissolve and fully combine with the milk.
6. When the mixture reaches 40-45°C/105-113°F, turn off the heat.
7. Add in yogurt, stirring in one direction until most of the yogurt has dissolved- if you still see some small lumps, that is okay.
8. Strain into a clean bowl then ladle into the dried jars or strain directly into the jars.
9. If using electric cooker:
   – Add the jars in a single layer
   – Pour in enough warm water (~40°C/105°F) to cover two thirds of the way up the jars
   – Close lid and turn on yogurt mode for about 4 hours.
   You can tell that the yogurt is ready when you gently tilt the jar and the content is no longer liquid.
10. If using oven:
    If your own has a bread proof setting or a light that generates enough heat to keep the water at around 40°C/105°F, you can use that instead of turning the oven on and off. If not:
    – Heat empty oven at the lowest temperature (ours is 175°F) for 5 minutes
    – Turn off the oven
    – Add the jars to a deep baking dish
    – Fill dish with enough warm water (~40°C/105°F) to cover two thirds of the way up the jars
    – Add baking dish to oven (middle rack), cover with a kitchen towel, and close oven
    – After 2 hours, remove the towel, set oven to lowest setting and let heat for 3 minutes
    – Turn off oven and add towel back
    – Set timer for another 2 hours or so
    You can tell that the yogurt is ready when you gently tilt the jar and the content is no longer liquid.
11. Remove yogurt jars from the cooker/baking dish and let sit on the counter until they have cooled down to room-temperature. I like adding them to a small tray so that they are easy to move around.
12. Place into the fridge until cold or until you are ready to eat.

RECIPE VIDEO

Sữa chua • Vietnamese-style yogurt

Course: DessertCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Easy

Makes

10

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Fermenting Time

4

hours 

Total time

4

hours 

25

minutes

Sweet, tangy, creamy Vietnamese-style yogurt that is perfect eaten by itself or with toppings. The “secret” ingredient is, of course, sweetened condensed milk.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 400 g 400 sweetened condensed milk (see Notes)

• 1 liter 1 milk (see Notes)

• 150 g 150 unsweetened unflavored yogurt with active bacteria cultures

Equipment

• Electric cooker with yogurt setting OR
• Deep baking dish and oven
• Glass jars for yogurt (see Notes)

Directions

• Add jars and lids to a large heat-proof bowl, then pour in boiling water to cover, making sure to fully fill all the containers.
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then carefully remove, empty, and let place upside down to air dry. I like placing them on a cooling rack inside a baking tray to catch excess water.
• Measure out the amount of yogurt you need and set on the counter.
  Letting the yogurt come to room-temperature will help it combine more easily with the warm milk later.
• Add condensed milk and whole milk to a pot or sauce pan.
• Heat on medium low (2/10), whisking/stirring gently and continuously. You should see and feel the condensed milk dissolve and fully combine with the milk.
• When the mixture reaches 40-45°C/105-113°F, turn off the heat.
• Add in yogurt, stirring in one direction until most of the yogurt has dissolved- if you still see some small lumps, that is okay.
• Strain into a clean bowl then ladle into the dried jars or strain directly into the jars.
• If using electric cooker:
  – Add the jars in a single layer
  – Pour in enough warm water (~40°C/105°F) to cover two thirds of the way up the jars
  – Close lid and turn on yogurt mode for about 4 hours.
  You can tell that the yogurt is ready when you gently tilt the jar and the content is no longer liquid.
• If using oven:
  If your own has a bread proof setting or a light that generates enough heat to keep the water at around 40°C/105°F, you can use that instead of turning the oven on and off. If not:
  – Heat empty oven at the lowest temperature (ours is 175°F) for 5 minutes
  – Turn off the oven
  – Add jars to a deep baking dish
  – Fill dish with enough warm water (~40°C/105°F) to cover two thirds of the way up the jars
  – Add baking dish to oven (middle rack), cover with a kitchen towel, and close oven
  – After 2 hours, remove the towel, set oven to lowest setting and let heat for 3 minutes
  – Turn off oven and add towel back
  – Set timer for another 2 hours or so
  You can tell that the yogurt is ready when you gently tilt the jar and the content is no longer liquid.
• Remove yogurt jars from the cooker/baking dish and let sit on the counter until they have cooled down to room-temperature. I like adding them to a small tray so that they are easy to move around.
• Place into the fridge until cold or until you are ready to eat.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Condensed milk: You can technically use any sweetened condensed milk, but the tried and true for Vietnamese people is Longevity Brand, aka Sữa Ông Thọ.
• Milk: I recommend using whole milk for the creamiest result, but you can also use reduced-fat milk. The ratio of condensed milk to regular milk is 1:3.
  To save money or reduce dairy consumption, some people will also use water instead of milk. If you use water, change the the ratio to 1:2.5 to prevent the yogurt from being too runny.
• Containers: You can use any type of food-grade glass containers, but it is most convenient for storage and serving to use dedicated yogurt jars. You can buy empty jars or do what I did: buy Oui yogurt , clean the jars after eating, then buy a set of lids online.
  This recipe is perfect to fill 10 of these jars.

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