Grass jelly is a classic summer Asian dessert. A black herbal grass jelly dessert serves great with colorful fruits, milk and syrup. This grass jelly recipe has step by step photos and a video to show how to make homemade leung fan (涼粉) from scratch.
Love sweets? Check out these taro boba, chocolate strawberries, hot chocolate balls, taro ice cream, Asian shaved ice, mango popsicles and red bean ice drink recipes.
What is grass jelly (涼粉)?
Grass jelly is a very common and classic summer dessert among Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, mainland China and southeast Asia. In Cantonese, it called leung fan (涼粉). On the other hand, in Taiwan grass jelly known as xian cao (仙草).
Sometimes, they add to boba drinks and shaved ice. Often, it is cut into cubes and served with syrup, condensed milk or milk. And, some like to add fruits as well.
What is grass jelly (涼粉) made of?
Grass jelly is made from dried and oxidized platostoma palustre plants (Mesona chinensis). And, they are a member of the mint family. It is made by boiling the oxidized stalks and leaves of platostoma palustre with potassium carbonate or baking soda. Then, thicken it with a little cornstarch or potato starch. After cooling off, it forms a jelly-like texture.
What is leung fan (涼粉) taste like?
Asian grass jelly has its fragrance, mild herbal taste and slightly bitter. Actually, just eating it is very plain.
What goes well with leung fan dessert (涼粉)?
Most people like to add syrup, condensed milk, honey, coconut milk and fruit to go with grass jelly. Some use it to make drinks and shaved ice too.
Cooking tips for how to make grass jelly from scratch:
- Wash and rinse the dried platostoma palustre in order to remove dust and sand.
- Pour water and baking soda into a big pot. Then, add washed mesona chinensis and boil it. When it's boiling, turn the fire to small and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Normally, it takes around 5 hours to boil them if you do not add any baking soda. By adding baking soda or potassium carbonate, it speeds up the process for around 30-45 minutes.
- To prevent overflowing while boiling, I put a plate on top of the herb.
- You may have noticed some white stuff floating on top. Don’t remove them, it’s from the plants and it helps to hold the grass jelly better.
- After boiling the plants, wait until it cools off. Then, use your hands to rub the plants and mix the liquid, so more slimy things will come out from the plants.
- Use a strainer bag to remove big pieces of plants. After, I use a fine strainer twice to remove small pieces of the plants. As a result, the liquid is around 4-4.5 cups. ( I like the 4.5 cups texture better.)
- In a small container mix water and cornstarch or potato starch to thicken the liquid. Potato starch has better texture; however, corn starch works well.
- Let the grass jelly cool off and refrigerate it for a few hours, it will form jello like.
- Cut into cubes and serve them with honey, syrup or condensed milk and milk. You can even add fruits such as mango, strawberry and kiwi.
FAQs:
If you are in Asia, often you can purchase them in Chinese herbal medicine stores. You can find some online, if you are in the states or other areas. 
In Chinese herbal medicine, grass jelly is great to consume in hot summer because it has cooling properties.
No, it doesn't contain gelatin. When you boil the dried platostoma palustre with baking soda for a while. There are some chemical reactions, the slimy stuff will come out from the herb, especially when you are rubbing it. The slimy stuff and cornstarch will hold and form like jello.
Yes, you can use the powder form, but it will be different instructions. This Asian grass jelly recipe mainly shows how to make it from scratch and I feel safer because I know what the ingredients are.
Instructions for how to make grass jelly from scratch:
1. Weight the dried platostoma palustre plant 40 g which is around 3 cups.
2. Wash, soak and rinse the dried platostoma palustre plant to remove dust and sand.
3. In a big pot, add 8 cups of water, ½ teaspoon baking soda and the washed platostoma palustre plant. Then, turn on a high fire and boil it. When it's boiling, turn the fire to medium small and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
4. After that, let it cool off, use your hands to rub the plants to get the slimy thing out and mix with the liquid.
5. Then, use a strainer bag to remove the big pieces of herb.
6. After that, use a fine strainer to remove smaller pieces of herb. Remember to do this step twice. (The result of liquid is around 4-4.5 cups. And, I like 4.5 cups texture better.)
7. Next, in a small container mix 4 tablespoons of water and 4.5 tablespoons of cornstarch or potato starch.
8. Pour the cornstarch mixture from step 7 into the liquid, keep stirring until it thickens. (Also, potato starch has better texture. However, cornstarch works well.)
9. Pour the thicken mixture into a container and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.
10. After that, cut the grass jelly into cubes.
11. You can serve with syrup.
12. Or, serve it with condensed milk, milk, coconut milk and fruits.
Enjoy this homemade from scratch grass jelly dessert recipe! Also, check out these black glutinous rice, white rabbit candy ice cream, sweet mung bean soup, taro sago and black sesame soup Asian desserts.
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Grass Jelly (涼粉)
Video
Ingredients
THICKEN LIQUID
- 4.5 tablespoons Corn starch or potato starch
- 4 tablespoons Water
Instructions
- Wash, soak and rinse the dried platostoma palustre plant to remove dust and sand.
- In a big pot, add 8 cups of water, ½ teaspoon baking soda and the washed platostoma palustre plant. Then, turn on a high fire and boil it. When it's boiling, turn the fire to medium small and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
- After that, let it cool off, use your hands to rub the plants to get the slimy thing out and mix with the liquid.
- Then, use a strainer bag to remove the big pieces of herb.
- After that, use a fine strainer to remove smaller pieces of herb. Remember to do this step twice. (The result of liquid is around 4-4.5 cups. And, I like 4.5 cups texture better.)
- Next, in a small container mix 4 tablespoons of water and 4.5 tablespoons of cornstarch or potato starch.
- Pour the cornstarch mixture from step 7 into the liquid, keep stirring until it thickens. (Also, potato starch has better texture. However, cornstarch works well.)
- Pour the thicken mixture into a container and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.
- After that, cut the grass jelly into cubes.
- You can serve with syrup.
- Or, serve it with condensed milk, milk, coconut milk and fruits.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make grass jelly from scratch:
- Wash and rinse the dried platostoma palustre in order to remove dust and sand.
- Pour water and baking soda into a big pot. Then, add washed mesona chinensis and boil it. When it's boiling, turn the fire to small and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Normally, it takes around 5 hours to boil them if you do not add any baking soda. By adding baking soda or potassium carbonate, it speeds up the process for around 30-45 minutes.
- To prevent overflowing while boiling, I put a plate on top of the herb.
- You may have noticed some white stuff floating on top. Don’t remove them, it’s from the plants and it helps to hold the grass jelly better.
- After boiling the plants, wait until it cools off. Then, use your hands to rub the plants and mix the liquid, so more slimy things will come out from the plants.
- Use a strainer bag to remove big pieces of plants. After, I use a fine strainer twice to remove small pieces of the plants. As a result, the liquid is around 4-4.5 cups. ( I like the 4.5 cups texture better.)
- In a small container mix water and cornstarch or potato starch to thicken the liquid. Potato starch has better texture; however, corn starch works well.
- Let the grass jelly cool off and refrigerate it for a few hours, it will form jello like.
- Cut into cubes and serve them with honey, syrup or condensed milk and milk. You can even add fruits such as mango, strawberry and kiwi.
Maggie
I never knew how grass jelly is made. These instructions with photos are great. Now I know how to make my own. It’s been my favorite since I was a child. I especially love Leung fun bing (grass jelly and red bean shaved ice). Yum!
Tracy O.
Leung fun is one of my favorites too! Thank you for your comment!