The Taste of Hanoi’s Autumn in Every Traditional Afternoon Treat

Autumn in Hanoi reveals itself not only through the golden leaves drifting along the streets but also in the nostalgic afternoon treats that capture the city’s soul — from green rice (cốm) and ash cake (bánh gio) to fried cakes (bánh rán) and bowls of sweet soup (chè) at the street corner. Each delicacy carries within it the essence of the season, along with the timeless charm and memories of an old Hanoi.

Every fall, Mười Sáu Sweet Soup Shop becomes more crowded than ever. Most customers come seeking that unmistakable taste of traditional Hanoi chè — a flavor found nowhere else

.

Mr. Phạm Việt Cường, a resident of Hoàn Kiếm Ward, shared:

“Hanoi’s traditional sweet soup here mainly includes mung bean chè mixed with tapioca pearls and jelly. In recent years, the shop has also added bánh trôi tàu (warm glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup). When we were young, that dish didn’t exist yet, but now it has become a familiar favorite.”

Not only for the elderly, but even young people now find joy in savoring a packet of green rice with a glass of lemon tea, feeling the gentle transition of weather as autumn settles in — a uniquely Hanoi experience.

Ms. Minh Trang from Từ Liêm Ward said:

“The green rice is so delicious. Every time I eat it, I immediately think of the flavor of Hanoi’s autumn.”

Those humble afternoon street treats, carried on the shoulders of vendors and flavored with the fleeting fragrance of autumn, have become an inseparable part of Hanoi’s identity. No matter how each person experiences the season, these simple, heartwarming flavors remain etched in memory — a sweet reminder of an old Hanoi, where autumn lingers tenderly in every bite of its traditional afternoon delights.