The Search for the Smoothest Grass Jelly + BONUS Recipe
Yup, we're back with the comparison posts. Today's theme is Grass Jelly, also known as Chin Chow, or in Chinese, ไป่。
First, let's address the elephant in the room.
Is grass jelly made of grass?
Well, you make it by boiling a plant called Chinese mesona along with starch and potassium carbonate (source: thewoksoflife).
So I consider it to be a byproduct, like tea. You boil the leaves but you don't eat them.
What does it taste like?
To me, grass jelly tastes a little herbal. I like that it is unsweetened. It is refreshing in a bowl of dessert or in an iced drink.
So what's this post about?
Back story: We had this wonderful grass jelly milk tea in JB once upon a time and we have been raving about it ever since. It was ridiculously smooth, soft and jiggly and you can use a bubble tea straw to suck it up and enjoy with the beverage.
Objective: I wanted to recreate this at home. We are looking for a grass jelly that is unbelievably smooth and slightly soft so that it travels well in a large straw. We're also going to limit the search to supermarkets because the goal is to stock up on the grass jelly and use them when needed. Fresh grass jelly is great but it's a bit of a hassle to leave the house just to get it all the time.
Without further ado, let's hit the streets to get some grass jelly!
1. ้้กบ็พ Tan Soon Mui Chin Chow
Price: $1.15 from NTUC
Weight: 500g
Origin: Product of Singapore
Texture: Extra firm and hard
As you can see, there's only a slight give when you press on it with force.
Smoothness: Average, 3/5
Experience: I tried cutting these into big pieces and put them in a homemade iced latte but the bubble tea straw had a hard time doing its job. I gave up and used a spoon instead.
Recommended for: Cutting into cubes or smaller pieces for a traditional iced dessert.
2. Grass jelly from the market
Price: $1 per block
Weight: Did not weigh. Probably more than 500g per block though.
Texture: Medium firm
Smoothness: Average, 3/5
Jiggle test: More jiggle than the first grass jelly.
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