Description
A pitch-black jelly made by boiling 'Xian Cao' (Mesona/Grass Jelly), a medicinal herb from the mint family. While eaten cold in summer, in winter (Taiwan/Fujian), it is served piping hot as a 'thick, viscous, semi-liquid slime (Shao)' right before it sets. Loaded with taro balls, peanuts, and red beans. The ultimate warming dessert.
Restaurants serving Shao Xian Cao (Hot Grass Jelly Dessert)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Grass Jelly powder(or dried Mesona)
- Yu Yuan(Taro balls)
- Sweet red beans
- Peanuts
- Milk(Evaporated etc.)
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Differences]
- (Brewing) Boil dried Xian Cao leaves/stems with a pinch of baking soda for hours/half a day until the liquid turns pitch black.
- Strain the leaves. Add a splash of sweet potato starch (or cornstarch) to the liquid to thicken it.
- (Toppings) Prepare chewy 'Yu Yuan' (taro/sweet potato balls), boiled red beans, mung beans, pearl barley, and crispy roasted peanuts.
- [The Key: Eat it Hot]: Do not chill it into a hard jelly. Pour the 'piping hot, viscous, slime-like' liquid straight from the pot into a bowl.
- Dump the massive pile of prepared toppings (beans/mochi) on top.
- Finish by drizzling a heavy splash of coffee creamer (or evaporated/coconut milk) over it.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Refreshing herbal aroma of Mesona、Sweet beans
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Warm Japanese coffee jelly - but aroma is different)
Pairing
As a standalone dessert / After spicy food
Trivia
[Trivia] In Chinese medicine, 'Xian Cao' is believed to 'clear heat and detoxify', embodying food-as-medicine. It looks like a black witch's brew, but in Taiwanese winter night markets, literally everyone is blowing on it to cool it down while eating.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Scoop it with a spoon, and the hot liquid stretches thickly. The 'slightly bitter herbal aroma' perfectly balances the milk's richness and the sweet 'chewy/fluffy' beans and taro balls. As it cools in the bowl, you can enjoy the texture shifting as it begins to set into jelly.
Allergen
Peanuts, Dairy