Grass Jelly Drink

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Country of Origin

China (Southern / Chaoshan & Guangdong)

Description

An incredibly popular, thirst-quenching dessert beverage. It combines bouncy cubes or silky strands of herbal grass jelly (made from the Platostoma palustre plant) with a sweet, ice-cold liquid base. The grass jelly carries a very mild, refreshing herbal bitterness that contrasts beautifully against sweet additions.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Served chilled in tall glasses or wide bowls with a spoon and an oversized straw. Diners alternate between sipping the creamy, sweet milk and breaking apart or chewing the silky jelly chunks.

Ingredients

• 1 can (approx. 400g / 14 oz) high-quality prepared grass jelly (available at Asian grocers)

• 1.5 cups whole milk or fresh coconut milk beverage

• 2 tbsp brown sugar syrup or honey (to taste)

• Crushed ice

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Unmold the Jelly: Open the can of prepared grass jelly and slide the solid block out onto a clean cutting board.

2. Cut into Shapes: Using a sharp knife, slice the jelly block into small, uniform 1/2-inch cubes. Alternatively, you can use a coarse cheese grater to shred the jelly into long, silky strands that slide up a straw effortlessly.

3. Prep the Serving Glasses: Divide the cut or shredded grass jelly evenly into the bottom of two large serving glasses.

4. Layer with Sweetener: Drizzle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar syrup or honey directly over the grass jelly inside each glass. Give it a gentle stir so the jelly is evenly glazed.

5. Add Chill Factor: Fill the remaining spaces of the glasses to the brim with crushed ice.

6. Pour the Base: Pour the cold whole milk or fresh coconut milk beverage slowly over the ice until the glasses are full. Stir well from the bottom up before taking a sip to harmonize the flavors.

Cooking Tips

• Texture Customization: If using store-bought canned grass jelly, look for "honey grass jelly" variants for a softer, slide-down-the-throat texture. Regular grass jelly is firmer and holds its shape much better when sliced into perfect, clean aesthetic cubes.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving using whole milk)

• Calories: ~140 kcal

• Total Fat: 4g

• Saturated Fat: 2.5g

• Cholesterol: 15mg

• Sodium: ~70mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 22g

• Dietary Fiber: 1g

• Sugars: 18g

• Protein: 4.5g