Thatch Ca Phe, the coffee jelly of Thailand
A very photogenic coffee - dessert, straight from Southeast Asia.
Coffee Jelly or Thach Ca Phe, as its traditional name is, is nothing but a coffee jelly, which has its roots in Southeast Asia, and especially in Thailand. Recently, it became very popular in Japan and was discovered by the West, with large coffee chains to include it in their menu, either as it is or in variations.
Thatch Ca Phe is made with agar agar, a powder that gives a jelly texture where it is added and is very common in Asian confectionery. After all, the texture of the jelly is highly valued by the peoples of Asia, and confectioners have devised ways to make the relevant preparations as delicious and original as possible.
The version we present here comes from Thailand and is one of the most traditional. It is essentially a layered cake, a layered dessert, refreshing and light, very impressive in appearance, which will steal the show wherever it is served. Since agar agar has no animal products in it, replacing the cream with more coconut cream, our dessert becomes suitable for vegans as well.
Its preparation is troublesome and requires little experience - but the exclamations of surprise and smiles of the attendees when Thatch Ca Phe is served, will compensate for any fatigue.
What do we need for Thatch Ca Phe?
25 grams of agar agar
1600 ml of water
200 grams of sugar
4 tablespoons instant coffee
60 ml sour cream
3 tablespoons coconut cream
Ice & Cold Water
How do we prepare Thatch Ca Phe?
Mix the agar agar in 1.2 lt water and leave it aside for 15 minutes
Dissolve the coffee in 60 ml of hot water, and add another 180 ml of water at room temperature.
Mix the cream with the coconut cream, and add 120 ml of water.
Heat the pot with the agar agar over medium heat, stirring lightly so that the powder dissolves completely. Once it starts to boil, add the sugar and stir.
If necessary, skim and lower the heat completely.
Divide the water with the agar agar in two: in the first 600 ml, add the coffee, in the remaining 600 ml add the cream.
Simmer the pots over low heat.
Put the form for our jelly in a large plate or bowl, which we fill with ice and cold water, like an inverted ben-marie.
Create the layers of our cake one by one: put a quantity of each mixture, wait for it to thicken slightly (2-3 minutes) and continue with the other.
When we are done, we place the form in the fridge, to bind the dessert.
Serve with whipped cream and coffee beans.
Original, beautiful, refreshing and very very tasty, Thatch Ca Phe is the ideal dessert for any occasion.
