Grass jelly
Alternative names | Leaf jelly, Cincau |
---|---|
Course | Dessert |
Place of origin | China |
Region or state | East Asia and Southeast Asia |
Created by | Hakka people |
Serving temperature | chilled or hot |
Main ingredients | Platostoma palustre (Mesona chinensis) stalks and leaves, potassium carbonate, starch |
Grass jelly | |
---|---|
Chinese name | |
Hanyu Pinyin | cǎo guǒ |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Jyutping | cou2 gwo2 |
Southern Min | |
Hokkien POJ | tsháu kué |
thạch đen
Grass jelly, also known as leaf jelly or herb jelly, is a
Nutritional value
Unsweetened grass jelly contains, per 500 grams, 2.5 grams of protein and about 15 grams of carbohydrates, of which 0.5 grams are from dietary fiber. Grass jelly has no fat, vitamins, or minerals.
Preparation
Grass jelly is made by boiling the aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of Platostoma palustre (Mesona chinensis)[3][4] with potassium carbonate and a little starch for several hours. The liquid cools to a jelly-like consistency, and this jelly can be cut into cubes or other shapes.[3][5] The jelly is then mixed with syrup to produce a drink or dessert thought to have cooling (yin) properties, suitable for hot weather. The jelly itself is fragrant with a smoky undertone[6] and is a translucent dark brown or black. Food coloring may sometimes be added to make it darker.
Preparation of other variants, known as green grass jelly, requires no cooking or heating process and is made from only a mixture of leaf extracts and water. Jelly produced in this way has been described as having a leafy, neutral flavor.[7]
Regional
Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau
In China, grass jelly is considered a signature dish of the Hakka people.[2]
In Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, 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 condensed or evaporated milk.
Although this dish is sometimes called liangfen (leung fan) in Chinese, it should not be confused with the Chinese starch jelly liangfen, which is an entirely different dish.
Taiwan
In
Indonesia
Grass jelly is known as cincau in Indonesian, which is derived from the Amoy Hokkien word 清草 (chhin chháu). It is also known as camcao, juju, janggelan or kepleng in Javanese, camcauh in Sundanese, and daluman in Bali. 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 Platostoma palustre (Mesona palustris).
There are other plants that were used in Indonesia to make grass jelly. They are
Usually, the process of making Indonesian green grass jelly doesn't require a cooking or heating process. Mixing leaf extract and water with the addition of a period of waiting time for coagulation at mild room temperature is enough.
Indonesian green grass jelly has a distinct flavor compared to black grass jelly. It is absent of smoky flavor, almost no bitter taste, and has a mild leafy flavor. Due to its plain neutral flavor, it is usually consumed with sugar water, syrup, coconut milk, and ice.
Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
Plain grass jelly is mixed in various kinds of desserts, such as ais kacang and cendol. It is also mixed with cold soy milk and served as a refreshing drink/dessert, a drink known as Michael Jackson in South-East Asia (a reference to Michael Jackson's changing skin color and/or the song "Black or White").[11] Various combinations of grass jelly with rose flavoured syrup added to milk (bandung) are called "bandung cincau" or "bancau" for short. There is also shaved ice with grass jelly toppings. It can be green or brown.
Philippines
Grass jelly (
. It may be used in fruit salads or eaten with milk or tea.Thailand
In
Vietnam
In Vietnamese, grass jelly is called sương sáo or thạch sương sáo and the name is also derived from Teochew (Chinese: 仙草, Peng'im: siêng1 cao2). Grass jelly is chopped in small cubes and served as an additional ingredient in sweet desserts made from various kinds of beans (chè). There are two common kinds of grass jelly in Vietnam which are Platostoma palustre (Mesona chinensis, called sương sáo in Vietnamese) and Tiliacora triandra (called sương sâm; sương sa or rau câu is the name for jelly made from various kinds of algae). It is common now to eat green grass jelly (thạch lá găng) with douhua (tào phớ) and grass jelly (sương sáo or thạch đen) in the summer.
Mauritius
In
See also
- Aiyu jelly
- Mesona
- Guilinggao
- Liangfen
- Jidou liangfen
- List of Chinese desserts
- List of desserts
References
- ^ "Grass Jelly Is Medicine and Dessert". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b Wei, Clarissa (2016-05-31). "Real-Deal Grass Jelly Shouldn't Come Out of a Can". Vice. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b 仙草 (in Chinese). 台北市內雙溪森林藥用植物園編輯組. Archived from the original on 2012-03-21.
本品加水與少許鹹共同煎汁,添加少許澱粉漿可製成仙草凍,是夏天常吃的清涼飲品
- ^ Armstrong, Wayne P. "Grass Jelly (Mesona chinensis)". Archived from the original on 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
- ^ Bush, Austin. "Inside the greenhouse". Archived from the original on 2008-05-26. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
- ^ Wei, Clarissa (2016-05-31). "Sweet, Black Grass Jelly Shouldn't Come Out of a Can". Retrieved 2016-10-11 – via munchies.vice.com.
- ^ Septiawan, Yunus (2016). Kajian Perbandingan Daun Cincau Hijau (Cyclea barbata L. Miers) dengan Air dan Konsenterasi Serbuk Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) Terhadap Karakteristik Gel Cincau Hijau (PDF) (BSc) (in Indonesian). Universitas Pasundan Bandung.
- ^ "Melastoma malabathricum L." www.unimainz.de. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014.
- ^ "Tanaman Obat Indonesia". www.iptek.net.id. Archived from the original on 2006-10-13. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ .
- ^ "Kopi (Coffee)". unclelimscafe.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Mousse Noir : Black Jelly". Cuizine Maurice. 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ "Chinese Cuisine". Cuizine Maurice. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
- ^ a b admin (2014-10-08). "MINLEH LTD—MOUSSE NOIRE, ALOUDA…: Un succès puisé dans la force familiale". Le Mauricien (in French). Retrieved 2021-05-23.
- ^ "Speciality Drink Archives". Sunny Food Canners. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
- Adams, Allison (2015-04-28). "Fact About Grass Jelly". LIVESTRONG.COM. Leaf Group. Archived from the original on 2017-08-31.