Азиатский травяной десерт "Гуламан" "Чаокуай" / "Сянсао"

Asian jelly like dessert

Grass jelly, also known as leaf jelly or herb jelly, is a jelly like dessert originating from China. It is commonly consumed in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is created by using Chinese mesona (a member of the mint family) and has a mild, slightly bitter taste. Grass jelly was invented by the Hakka people who historically used the food to alleviate heat stroke after long days working in the field. The dish was introduced to Southeast Asia by the Chinese diaspora. It is served chilled, with other toppings such as fruit, or in bubble tea or other drinks. Outside Asia, it is sold in Asian supermarkets.

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.

Grass jelly is made by boiling the aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of Platostoma palustre (Mesona chinensis) 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. 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 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.

In China, grass jelly is considered a signature dish of the Hakka people. and Cyclea barbata, known as cincau hijau or green grass jelly, and Cocculus orbiculatus or known as cincau Cina or Chinese green grass jelly. Some plants from genus Stephania such as Stephania hernandifolia (also known as Stephania japonica) and Stephania capitata are also being used as a substitute to create green grass jelly called cincau minyak or oily grass jelly. 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.

Grass jelly (Philippine: gulaman) bricks are used in the various Philippine refreshments or desserts such as sago’t gulaman, buko pandan, agar flan or halo halo. It may be used in fruit salads or eaten with milk or tea.

In Thailand, grass jelly is known as chaokuai (เฉาก๊วย, ) derived from Teochew (, Pe̍h ūe jī: tsháu kué). It is commonly served relatively plain together with ice and natural brown sugar. Additionally, it can also be served with fruits such as jackfruit, the fruit of the toddy palm or mixed with other Thai desserts.

In Vietnamese, grass jelly is called sương sáo or thạch sương sáo and the name is also derived from Teochew (, 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.

In Mauritius, the grass jelly is cut into cubes and is added into water and sugar or in syrup water to make a cold drink called "Mousse Noir" which is literally translated as "black jelly" in English. The Mousse noir is of Chinese origins and is a reflection of the Sino Mauritians influence on the Mauritian cuisine. The mousse noir is well known and well appreciated by Mauritians. It can be made at home,