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Grass jelly
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese: | 涼粉 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese: | 凉粉 | ||||||||||||||
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| alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese: | 仙草 | ||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese: | thạch | ||||||||||||||
| Indonesian name | |||||||||||||||
| Indonesian: | cincau | ||||||||||||||
Grass jelly, or Leaf jelly , is a jelly-like dessert found in China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It is sold in cans or packets in Asian supermarkets.
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Preparation
Grass jelly is made by boiling the aged and slightly fermented stalks and leaves of Mesona chinensis1 (member of the mint family) with potassium carbonate for several hours with a little starch and then cooling the liquid to a jelly-like consistency2. This jelly can be cut into cubes or other forms, and then mixed with syrup to produce a drink or dessert thought to have cooling (yin) properties, which makes it typically consumed during hot weather. The jelly itself has a slight bitter taste, a light iodine lavender flavor, and is a translucent black. It can also be mixed with soy milk to produce a milky white liquid with black strands in it.
Regional
China
In China, grass jelly was traditionally served with sugar syrup. Now it is often served mixed with other ingredients, such as mango, sago, watermelon, cantaloupe, and other fresh or canned fruit, and evaporated milk.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, black jelly (Cincau hitam) is manufactured as an instant powder, like other instant jellies or agar. This form is easier to use. It is made from the leaves of Mesona palustris.
Two other plants used in Indonesia are Melastoma polyanthum, known as Cincau perdu, 3 and Cyclea barbata, known as Cincau Hijau. 4
Malaysia and Singapore
Plain grass jelly is mixed in various kinds of desserts, such as ice kacang and cendol. It is also mixed with soy milk to produce a milky white liquid with black strands in it, a drink known as Michael Jackson in South-East Asia.5
Vietnam
In Vietnamese, grass jelly is thạch (thạch is also the general word for jelly). Grass jelly is chopped in small cubes and served as a additional ingredient in sweet desserts made from various kinds of beans (chè). There are two common kinds of grass jelly in Vietnam which are Mesona sinensis Benth.- called sương sáo in Vietnamese and Tiliacora triandra called sương sâm in Vietnamese (as well as sương sa or rau câu is the name for jelly made from various kinds of algae). Grass jelly drinks are also very popular amongst Vietnamese women; they are believed to enhance fertility, this is caused by the high levels of estrogen contained in the grass's root.
Taiwan
In Taiwan, grass jelly is known as sian-chháu, and is used in various desserts and drinks. It can sometimes be added to boba drinks and shaved ice(chhoah-peng). It is also commonly used in a traditional Taiwanese drink, where the jelly is heated and melted to be consumed as a thick dessert beverage, with numerous toppings like tangyuan, taro balls, azuki beans, and tapioca.
Thailand
In Thailand grass jelly is known as, เฉาก๊วย [tɕʰao˨˥˩ kuɛj˨˩˧] or chau guay, and is commonly served relatively plain with the addition of ice and natural brown sugar, in addition to the other preparations that are listed above, with the inclusion of fruits such as Jackfruit, the fruit of the toddy palm and other Thai desserts.
External links
References
- ^ Armstrong, Wayne P., Grass Jelly (Mesona chinensis), http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph37.htm, retrieved on 19 May 2008
- ^ Bush, Austin, Inside the greenhouse, http://www.austinbushphotography.com/2006/06/inside-greenhouse.html, retrieved on 19 May 2008
- ^ www.unimainz.de
- ^ www.iptek.net.id
- ^ unclelimscafe.com
See also
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 7 January 2009, at 06:32.
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