The ingredients for grass jelly are a plant called Chinese mesona, some starch, and potassium carbonate, all of which are boiled together.
Grass jelly has a jello-like consistency and a nearly bland flavor, with just a tinge of bitterness. In China, grass jelly is typically prepared at home through either fresh cooking grass or preparing a powdered version.
The product is canned and looks like cranberry sauce.
To remove it from the can, simply cut around the perimeter with a butter knife and lift it up. The jelly can then be cut into whatever sizes and shapes you wish. Bubble tea and other Asian desserts, such as the Coconut Tapioca Dessert, can benefit from its inclusion.
Food for Health?
It seems that grass jelly could be a nutritious option. Detoxification, weight loss, reduced blood pressure, and benefits for people with kidney disease and arthritis are all claimed benefits. According to traditional Chinese medical theory, it is also a “cooling” food, which helps release any excess heat (or yang) in the body.
Due to this, it is typically consumed during the warmer months in Asia. However, it is most commonly associated with unhealthy foods, such as sweet Asian pastries and sugary drinks.
Ingredients:
Key ingredient:
- cubed, sliced, or shredded grass jelly
Options for liquid base:
- regular milk, oat milk, or coconut milk with sweetened condensed milk
- cold coffee with sweetened condensed milk
- sweetened dairy-free coconut milk
- simple syrup
- milk tea
Optional toppings:
- honey
- maple syrup
- mango
- soft boiled shelled peanuts
- boiled lotus seeds
- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
- banana
- cooked red bean or mung bean
- boiled taro
- papaya
- dragon fruit
- boiled yam/sweet potato
- black sticky rice
- mochi
- tapioca pearls
- sweet rice balls
- ice cream
- crushed ice
Instructions:
- Select your liquid base of choice and pour it into a dish.
- Top with grass jelly and additional toppings of your choosing.