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This Is Why You Should Drink Sugarcane Juice

Sugarcane juice, or “nước mía” in Vietnamese, is one of the most looked-for beverage on streetsacross Vietnam – especially on these warm days. Being a local street food tour provider, we’d like to answer sugarcane juice related questions, such as why you, or anyone who’s visiting Hanoi, should drink it.

What is Sugarcane Juice?

Sugarcane is a grass plant, which can grow up to 6 meters muture height with stout, jointed,and fibrous stalks. The plant is native to the tropical countries, such as Vietnam – where it’s grown mostly for sugar production.

Sugarcane juice is a fresh, sweet, and syrupy liquid that’s squeezed, by a hand-mill or machine, from peeled sugarcanes. The juice is the key ingredient for a dozen of other products like brown sugar, jaggery, rum, molasses, biofuel, and ethanol.

On Vietnam’s streets, vendors commonly squeeze peeled sugarcane stalks with a green kumquat to flavor its juice, a dash of salt is sometimes added to balance out the sweetness (but no ginger). The fresh drink is then poured over a full-of-ice cup, making a refreshing nuoc miathat no one would deny.

What Are Sugarcane Juice Nutrition and Calories?

Sugarcane juice comes with an abundance of nutrients that includes potassium, calcium, magnesium, magnesium, iron, thiamin, and riboflavin. A cup of sugarcane juice (240 ml) has 183 calories, 50 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of fibre.

Why Sugarcane Juice is Popular in Vietnam?

Vietnam’s ample sunlight makes it the perfect breeding land for sugarcane, which has been oneof the country’s main crops since ancient times. Records show that, crude sugar was a part of Vietnam’s annual tributes to China two thousand years ago.

Being indigenous to Vietnam, sugarcane has been appearing in local cuisine for centuries. Most vendors’ source of canes come from the nearby countryside, the close distance from farm to cart ensures that they remain mostly fresh and juicy until consumption.

Furthermore, Vietnam is among the warmest countries in the world, its summer weather is not kind to anybody on the street. In such scorching heat, an ice-cold cup filled to the brim with fresh kumquat flavored sugarcane juice is definitely a godsend, which everyone would welcome with open arms.

Next to the immediately cool down effect, sugarcane juice is among the most affordable drinksin Vietnam. The cost of a cup (240ml) is only 15.000 dong (65 US cents), which is considered to be reasonable for such a refreshing beverage.

So now you know it’s convenient, fresh, refreshing, and cheap to have a cup of sugarcane juice in Vietnam. Every time you feel like you need to replenish your body and re-hydrate during a food tour, grab that cup of iced sugarcane juice and enjoy it.

How is Sugarcane Juice Made in Hanoi?

As sugarcane juice is Hanoian’s favorite drink, it can be found in abundance. Any canes that don’t make it to the sugar factories find themselves destined for the heavy rollers of the sugarcane juice machine, and into the parched throats of thirsty locals and weary tourists.

In Hanoi, sugarcane juice is usually pressed manually between two heavy rollers. The vendor sticks two to three 50-centimeter-long canes in between the rollers, the milky and thicky juice gushes down into a plastic jug, waiting to receive it.

After the second pressing, he would then fold the canes over, and tuck two green kumquats into it, the flavor blends gorgeously with the sweet juice. It would then pour into ice filled cups and quickly passed on to the customer.

Beside the traditional sugarcane juice, there are newer versions attracting endless lines of young Hanoians. New creations include sugarcane coconut juice, sugarcane juice with black pearls, andsugarcane passion fruit juice.

Why You Should Drink Sugarcane Juice?

During our walking street food tours, our clients will sample differrent local produces, such as the famous pho, egg coffee, banh mi, and of cause, sugarcane juice. As foodie guides, we’ve received a lots of questions related to Hanoi and what the city has to offer.

Responding to why you should drink sugarcane juice, we would like list out several sugarcane juice benefits as below:

A cup of icy cold sugarcane juice will imediately cool down the body along with giving it a boost of energy.

Sugarcane juice retains all the minerals and vitamins we need, as it’s not pressed like other sugary drinks.

It encourages a smoother functioning of liver and kidney by flushing out the buildup of toxins, and it replenishes the body with the nutrients and proteins.

The water content in sugarcane juice doesn’t only refresh and hydrate your body, but also your skin – by giving it a youthful and radiant look.

Can You Drink Sugarcane Juice if You Have Diabetes?

Like other high sugar drinks, sugarcane juice is a poor choice if you have diabetes. Its massive amount of sugar could raise your blood sugar levels dangerously. Regardless some articlespointing to possible anti-diabetes effects, sugarcane juice isn’t appropriate for those with diabetes. Thus, we ask our clients on Hanoi food tours to avoid this beverage entirely.

Should You Make Sugarcane Juice at Home?

You can find sugarcane juice recipe online and make it at home, but there is a lot of work for a little reward. We’re going to be very honest here. And the taste is nowhere close to the rich, thick, milky juiciness that comes from a freshly pressed sugarcane offered on the street.

Sugarcane juice just doesn’t keep. The cloudy richness disappears a few minutes after the juice has been pressed, and it turns clear, almost like sugar water, but with a hint of the kumquat.

In Hanoi’s French Quarter, you can now find sanitised version of sugarcane juice, made by big businesses with well-designed logos. To us, that’s cheating, and you’ll never get the true taste of this delicious juice, unless you have it on from an aged stalls at a street corner with dodgy ice.

If you’re using a blender, you’ll need to chop the canes into small pieces and add water, which dilutes the juice. It’s still really delicious and so good chilled over ice, but to experience the real deal you want to walk to the street, instead.

There are some things in the world that are best tasted where they are, that’s so true to street food. Recreating them is awesome, but the true reward is the bliss one gets when foods and drinks are offered by vendors who spent years on perfecting it.

Where to Buy Sugarcane Juice?

Now you see why you should drink sugarcane juice, and may be wondering where to buy one. Like almost everywhere in Southeast Asia, street vendors bring the world of fresh food andbeverage to the corner of your street, and sometimes to your hotel’s door.

Sugarcane juice is not for the fainthearted traveler, though, do go on and try some, nevertheless. Its the staple of the locals and sugarcane stalls are usually found in bustling street corners. They are certainly a taste of Hanoi, with their dusty, plastic jug, icy cold, and tangy sweetness.

In Hanoi, sugarcane juice is sold on almost every street, you can buy it from any outlet selling “nuoc mia”. Just head to these stalls and ask for a cup. Here are some of our favorite sugarcane juice stalls:

Nuoc Mia Hang Dieu: 77 Hang Dieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Nuoc Mia Quoc Tu Giam: 12 Quoc Tu Giam Street, Dong Da, Hanoi

Join Flavors of Hanoi’s peronal foodie tour guide on our daily walking Hanoi food tour, and explore the best of what the city has to offer. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep updated on what’s new and what’s interesting in Hanoi.

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Lý Club Hanoi – A Shining Modern Vietnamese Restaurant

Ly Club Hanoi is a colonial style fine dining Vietnamese restaurant in Hanoi’s French Quarter. Set in a splendid French villa at 12 Le Phung Hieu, the restaurant locates across the street from the Capella Hanoi, Sofitel Metropole Hotel, and just two blocks away from the Opera House.

Named after the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century, an era that featured a thriving ceramic fine art with lotus and chrysanthemum patterns, Ly Club took the later as its logo. Drawing inspiration from its namesake, the restaurant combines traditional Vietnamese cooking with modern dining, and provide an elegant oasis from the chaotic city.

After exploring the Old Quarter on a walking street food tour with us, our clients wanted to celebrate the great Hanoi tour with a fine meal at a modern Vietnamese restaurant, so we picked Ly Club Hanoi.

As we arrived at the restaurant, neighboring a couple of ambassador residences and public houses, our group of four were welcomed by a smiley staff from the gate. She walked us through an outdoor terrace with plenty of green – a perfect setting for afternoon tea or evening cocktails – to get inside.

We were then impressed by a simplistic and elegant décor indoor; from the white color theme pervading the house, to antique ceramic flower pots, and to beautiful lacquer paintings by contemporary Vietnamese artists, they all enhanced the refined ambiance in dining areas.

Beside the stylist dining rooms and spacious lounges with comfortable sittings, there was also a well-designed stage for daily complementary music performance. The evening we were there, our meal was accompanied by a charming musician playing live, which really set the mood for a lovely dining experience.

Its selective menu reflects the restaurant’s all-day service, embracing both traditional and innovative foods, and creatively pairing the East and West’s flavors. The Vietnamese cuisine part features a wide range of classic and spontaneous ingredients, celebrating the season’s most glorious sustenance.

With the help from the attentive waitress, we went for a full Vietnamese tasting menu and were not disappointed. We ordered four soups, a shared vegetable dish and four mains, completedwith four desserts. Rice came with the main dishes.

About the food; the crab and red pumpkin soup, with a hint of lemongrass and mushroom, wasfantastic. It was rich and full of flavor. We didn’t even need to add any salt or pepper for more zip, as the soup was perfectly prepared for us.

For the mains, the chicken in clay pot and the duck with orange sauce were very good – done just right, we would highly recommend both those dishes. Cooked and served in a clay pot, which helped maintain the moisture in the chicken meat. Clay pot might be considered as exotic cooking crockery for many Westerners, but it’s a traditional kitchenware for Vietnamese people.

The grilled duck breast with orange came out arousing with a crispy brown skin, the taste was balanced, and the rich sauce with layers of flavors was a winner. Both dishes served piping hot, tasty and went really well with the steamed rice.

We weren’t a fan of the beef cooked in bamboo that evening though, the beef was a bit chewy. But it could be because we had eaten too much beef dishes on our street food tour, including pho bo.

Both the sautéed eggplant and the sautéed mixed fresh garden vegetables were fresh and soft.It really doesn’t matter where in Vietnam you eat; eggplant is always a good dish. The mainswere followed by a delicious banana fritter with a scoop vanilla ice-cream for dessert.

As is the case everywhere in the country, wine is expensive but we still chose to have 2 bottles of Vietnamese red wine, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which were surprisingly decent for the price. We paid about $190 for 4 people, including the wine bottles.

Ly Club Hanoi is slightly expensive compared to many other restaurants in Hanoi, but it’s worth it for a special occasion. It provided first-class hospitality in a serene and stylish environment. The atmosphere was lovely, and the food was both delicious and beautifully presented.

Overall, we were happily full by the end as the dishes were not over sized. The service was gracious and entirely correct. The staffs were welcoming, attentive, and very friendly. They catered to our every need and spoke good English. 

We thought it was great value if you’re looking for a restaurant that provides great food, nice ambiance, and excellent service. We would happily recommend Ly Club Hanoi restaurant after our 5-star experience.

Lý Club Hanoi

12 Le Phung Hieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

+84 962 54 0088

7h00 – 23h00

Join Flavors of Hanoi’s peronal foodie tour guide on our daily walking Hanoi food tour, and explore the best of what the city has to offer. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep updated on what’s new and what’s interesting in Hanoi.