Grass jelly brings a chewy sensation to every sip or bite. Whether you are having a milk tea drink or a sweet pudding dessert, it is the perfect addition for a delightful twist. You can easily make one yourself from scratch with this short recipe guide, which you can finish in just 10 simple steps.
What is grass jelly made of
Generally, grass jelly is made from traditional dried Chinese mesona. This plant is boiled and combined with cornstarch as its thickening agent. Mesona is typically bitter-tasting, which is why most grass jelly recipes include sugar to sweeten it.
Dried Chinese mesona and grass jelly
The method of using either fresh mesona leaves results in green grass jelly, while the utilization of dried mesona leaves produces the distinct black variant. Typically, vendors simplify the preparation process by processing the mesona plant into a powder, facilitating the creation of grass jelly.
In China, there is widespread cultivation of Chinese mesona.
Green grass jelly
Making grass jelly from the plant itself can be labor intensive, so I prefer using ready-made grass jelly powder to make it easier and faster to form the grass jelly cubes. You can get this powder in Asian supermarkets, the international aisle or baking section of grocery stores, or Amazon. In this recipe, I combine grass jelly cubes with taro balls, sago, sweet red beans, and coconut milk in a dessert bowl for a coconutty snack.
Fresh Chinese mesona
Grass jelly benefits
People love incorporating grass jelly in desserts and drinks because of the plant’s many health benefits. It helps reduce cholesterol, improve heart health, control blood sugar, and aid in digestion. It contains numerous minerals and vitamins, such as vitamins A, B1, and C, calcium, fiber, and phosphorus, to name a few.
How To Use Grass Jelly
Once you know how to make grass jelly cubes, you can use them in various beverages and desserts. For instance, it is the perfect alternative to boba or sago pearls for milk tea. It is also an excellent addition to pudding desserts or fruit salads.
Here are some recipes where I show how to use grass jelly cubes and some recipes where you can add it as an additional ingredient:
- A chewy ingredient to replace boba or sago pearls for homemade taro bubble milk tea, other bubble tea drinks, or iced coffee
- An additional ingredient for:
- An ingredient included in the dessert suggestions in my How To Make Taro Balls From Scratch guide.
Recipe Tips And Suggestions
Aside from showing how to make grass jelly, I also share a few additional ingredients that you can use to create a quick dessert with grass jelly. I combine grass jelly cubes with taro balls and sago pearls. You can also add sweet red beans and coconut milk to complete the dessert. Here are a few things to know about these additional ingredients.
- Taro balls: Taro balls are made from the root vegetable taro. It is mixed with tapioca starch and tapioca starch with boiled water to form the taro balls. You can buy ready-made taro balls from Asian supermarkets, but you can also make one yourself with my homemade recipe, How To Make Taro Balls From Scratch.
- Sago pearls: Another chewy ingredient that I love to add to my sweet desserts is sago pearls. Keep in mind that sago is different from tapioca pearls. In fact, it is more expensive and rare than tapioca pearls. That is why tapioca pearls are more preferred because they are inexpensive and more accessible. If you’re interested in learning more about the distinctions between Sago and Tapioca Pearls, feel free to explore my guide, “Sago Vs. Tapioca Pearls | Is There A Difference.” Additionally, explore my recipe guide on “How To Cook Sago” for more insights. You can also make your own tapioca pearls with only 3 ingredients with the recipe How To Make Homemade Tapioca Pearls.
- Chewy alternatives: If you want to add more chewy ingredients to the dessert suggestion below, you can use popping boba, sweet potato balls, lychee, and coffee jelly.
- Sweet red beans: Sweet red beans, also known as honey red beans, are crafted from red beans. You can opt for canned sweet red beans or prepare them using my recipe on how to make sweet red beans.
- Coconut Milk: The ultimate combo for chewy bits is coconut milk. It is rich and creamy with a delightful coconut taste. It definitely completes the refreshing tropical vibe in one simple dessert. If you don’t have coconut milk, you can use coconut cream or other plant-based milk such as soy, oat, and almond. If you are using non-coconut milk, you can still impart coconut flavors by sprinkling some coconut flakes, shredded coconut, or coconut flavoring.
Ingredients And Kitchen Tools To Make Grass Jelly
After learning more information about grass jelly, let’s now prepare the ingredients and kitchen tools to get started. You will need a cooking pot to cook the grass jelly powder, taro balls, and sago or tapioca pearls. Other useful items that can help are a whisk, strainer, and knife. Here’s everything you need to prepare:
Kitchen Tools
- Cooking pot
- Whisk or stirrer
- A bowl for grass jelly
- A bowl for rinsing
- Strainer
- Knife
- Dessert bowls or cups
Ingredients
- 1000ml of water
- 100g of grass jelly powder
- Taro balls
- Sago
- Sweet red beans
- Coconut milk
Instructions On How To Make Grass Jelly
The entire recipe steps are quick and easy to do. The only step that requires more time is waiting for the grass jelly to cool and become firm for a few hours. You only need to prepare the grass jelly and cut it into cubes, cook the taro balls and sago pearls, and combine all the ingredients in a dessert bowl.
Check out my recipe tutorial video on Instagram or TikTok to learn more. Do you have tips and recommendations for this recipe? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Prepare The Grass Jelly
- In a cooking pot, add 1000ml of water and 100g of grass jelly powder.
- Cook on low heat while continuously stirring using a whisk until the water comes to a boil.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring it to the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.
Cook The Taro Balls
- Prepare a cooking pot with water, bring to a boil and cook some taro balls until they float to the surface.
- Rinse the taro balls in cold water to remove excess starch and strain them using a strainer.
Cook The Sago Pearls (Please read my comprehensive guide on cooking sago)
- Boil water in a pot and cook the sago pearls on medium heat for 20 minutes while stirring continuously.
- Afterward, turn off the heat and let it sit in hot water for 15 minutes more before rinsing in cold water. Rinsing in cold water removes excess starch and prevents the pearls from sticking together.
Assemble Grass Jelly Drink
- After 2 hours or when the grass jelly solidifies, cut it into cubes using a knife. You can cut it directly while still in its container.
- Assemble your dessert bowl by adding grass jelly, taro balls, sago pearls, sweet red beans, and coconut milk to your chosen dessert cup. Adjust the amount according to your liking.
- Put the dessert in the refrigerator to chill before eating. This dessert is best served cold, perfect for a warm afternoon as a cold snack.
Grass Jelly Recipe (Dessert With Drink)
Equipment
- Cooking pot
- Whisk or stirrer
- A bowl for grass jelly
- A bowl for rinsing
- Strainer
- Knife
- Dessert bowls or cups
Ingredients
- 1000 ml of water
- 100 g of grass jelly powder
- Taro balls
- Sago
- sweet red beans
- Coconut milk
Instructions
Prepare The Grass Jelly
- In a cooking pot, add 1000ml of water and 100g of grass jelly powder.
- Cook on low heat while continuously stirring using a whisk until the water comes to a boil.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring it to the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.
Cook The Taro Balls
- Prepare a cooking pot with water, bring to a boil and cook some taro balls until they float to the surface.
- Rinse the taro balls in cold water to remove excess starch and strain them using a strainer.
Cook The Sago Pearls
- Boil water in a pot and cook the sago pearls on medium heat for 20 minutes while stirring continuously.
- Afterward, turn off the heat and let it sit in hot water for 15 minutes more before rinsing in cold water. Rinsing in cold water removes excess starch and prevents the pearls from sticking together.
Assemble Grass Jelly Drink
- After 2 hours or when the grass jelly solidifies, cut it into cubes using a knife. You can cut it directly while still in its container.
- Assemble your dessert bowl by adding grass jelly, taro balls, sago pearls, sweet red beans, and coconut milk to your chosen dessert cup.Adjust the amount according to your liking.
- Put the dessert in the refrigerator to chill before eating. This dessert is best served cold, perfect for a warm afternoon as a cold snack.
