Grass Jelly

Grass jelly or leung fan (涼粉) is a classic summer Chinese/ Asian dessert like lychee slush, honeydew popsicle, Asian shaved ice, taro ice cream, mango pomelo sago, red bean ice drink, tofu pudding and sweet mung bean soup. 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) or grass jelly from scratch for grass jelly dessert, Asian shaved ice or grass jelly drink.

Love sweets? Check out these taro boba, chocolate strawberries, hot chocolate balls, black sesame soup, taro sago, almond jello, ginger milk curd, mango popsicles, Hawaiian shave ice and red bean mochi recipes.

What is grass jelly (涼粉)?

Grass jelly is popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian regions. It is a traditional Asian dessert and beverage ingredient that is made from the leaves of the Mesona chinensis plant. Grass jelly known as "cincau", "leaf jelly" or herb jelly. In Cantonese, we call it leung fan (涼粉). On the other hand, in Taiwan people call it xian cao (仙草). Although its name is grass jelly in English, it actually does not contain any grass. 

The process of making grass jelly involves boiling the leaves to extract their natural juices. The liquid is then cooled and allowed to set into a gel-like texture. Grass jelly is dark brown or black in color. Also, it has a slightly bitter and herbal taste. Besides, it is in solid form. Often, it is cut into cubes and served with syrups, milk, or sweet condensed milk as a dessert or to make Asian shaved ice and grass jelly drink. In addition, grass jelly can be added into drinks such as boba drinks, fruit juices and lychee slush. It provides a unique texture and flavor to the beverages.

What does grass jelly taste like?

Grass jelly has a unique taste. It can be described as slightly bitter, herbal and mildly sweet. The bitterness comes from the natural compounds found in the leaves of the Mesona chinensis plant which is the primary ingredient used to make grass jelly. The herbal flavor adds a refreshing and earthy taste.

Usually grass jelly is served with sweeteners like syrups and condensed milk to balance the bitterness and enhance its overall flavor. The combination of bitter, herbal and sweet elements gives grass jelly its distinct and enjoyable taste for many Asian desserts and beverages.

What are the health benefits of grass jelly?

In Chinese herbal medicine, grass jelly can help you keep cool and hydrated. It is a remedy for digestive issues. It is believed to have a cooling effect. Sometimes, it is consumed to alleviate heat-related discomfort. Besides, staying hydrated is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being, especially in hot summer.  

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.

In this grass jelly dessert recipe, the main ingredients are platostoma palustre plants, water, baking soda and cornstarch. You can add syrup, condensed milk, and fruit to serve it as a dessert.

What goes well with grass jelly?

Most people like to add syrup, condensed milk, honey, coconut milk and fruit to go with grass jelly. Some use it to add drinks and make shaved ice too. 

Homemade grass jelly from scratch:

There are a lot of recipes around that use grass jelly powder to make grass jelly. However, this homemade grass jelly recipe is unique because I am going to show you how to make grass jelly from scratch using the leaves of the Mesona chinensis plant. It may not be easy to find the plant or available to everyone, but I will show step by step photos and a video of how traditional grass jelly is made. If you want an easy version, you can use the powder form.

Where can I purchase dried platostoma palustre?

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. I got mine when I traveled to Hong Kong.

Can I use grass jelly powder?

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. 

Easy grass jelly powder version:

If you want to use the powder form, I recommend this tea zone brand. Use 1 cup of hot boiling water and 2 tablespoons of grass jelly powder. Mix them well, let it cool down, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it 6-8 hours or overnight. You can make more by doubling or tripling the ratio, for example 3 cups of hot boiling water and 6 tablespoons of grass jelly powder. Besides, if you want a firmer texture, you can add a little bit more grass jelly powder like 5 cups of hot boiling water and 11 tablespoons of grass jelly powder.

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:

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 Chinese grass jelly dessert recipe! Also, check out these black glutinous rice, white rabbit candy ice cream, papaya milk, Chinese pickled cucumber and wonton noodle soup recipes.

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• TOFU PUDDING
• STRAWBERRY PIE GLAZE WITH JELLO

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