Last weekend when I went shopping with another Taiwan PAP (that's adoption lingo for pre-adoptive parent), I took her to an Asian grocery that I like to explore. We both chose some drinks from the refrigerator as it was a nice hot summer day. I picked out a can of "Chin Chin Grass Jelly Drink" because A) oh so weird! B) it was made in Taiwan and C) the jelly factor made me think it might be something like bubble/boba tea. Well, after we left the store we started girl talk and I half forgot about my drink and half was a little scared to try something that might turn out to be totally gross in front of someone I just met. So, I didn't open the drink. When I got home, I decided to save it for when Kevin got home from his trip. Yeah, make Kevin try it first!Well, Kevin's home now and we broke out the grass jelly drink tonight. I wanted to video him tasting it for the first time, but he wouldn't let me. He took a few tips, proclaimed it tasted a little like sweet tea with gelatin, and then we poured it into a glass to check out the contents. It's really dark in color and kinda hard to see the little bits of diced gelatin until you get out a strainer. The can says that it's honey flavor. I don't taste honey, just a little sweetness in this tea drink with a little bit of a funny taste and bits of diced gelatin in the bottom of the can.
I googled grass jelly tonight, and learned that it's made by boiling leaves of the mint family with potassium carbonate and then cooling it to jelly like consistency.
Grass jelly drink is very interesting. Fun to taste test, but I think I'll stick with Fresca on ice as my refreshment of choice. Grass jelly isn't horrible as I feared. I promise.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI love your adventurous spirit and wish you lived close by because I also love to wander in our local Asian markets trying out interesting items! Visit my blog because I "tagged" you! And keep sharing your Asian market discoveries.
Interesting. Did you "eat" the chunks, or keep them strained out? Apart from liking lots of pulp in my Orange juice, I'm thinking I may not like chewing my drinks. Haven't tried Bubble tea, but there is a place nearby that sells it (a Thai restaurant), so maybe sometime soon. Everyone seems to rave about it.
ReplyDeleteTisra
adopting from Taiwan, waiting for referral
Hey Sarah -
ReplyDeleteWe tried ours too - though we did not document ours as skillfully as you did!
Our was rice carbonated drink - I guess similiar to rice soda. It, too, had chunks of rice. Took some getting used to. It was SWEET - even the kids wouldn't drink it. Better luck next time. The almond cookies were great!
Amy
Tisra,
ReplyDeleteYes, We ate the chunks of jelly. I guess you're just supposed to slurp them down when you drink it out of the can. We just strained the chunks of jelly out so we could see what they look like. They aren't hard... they're Jello like consistency. No chewing involved, just slurping.
I'm glad you tried it, because after seeing it in the strainer I don't think that there is any way possible I would EVER try it!
ReplyDeleteNow thats a drink I dont think I've tried?? Its kind-of like baby steps to Jello shooters. LOL!
ReplyDeleteIm in no way offened if you delete this comment... LOL!
Sherry, in my last year of college my roommate had jello shots in the crisper section of our little dorm referigerator at all times. Jello shots are what crispers are for, right? :)
ReplyDeleteOoooh.. I guess I missed this post. I love that stuff!! My first introduction to it was the "real stuff" in a night market.
ReplyDeleteThis was my fist week in Taiwan when I lived there back in the late 80s. My local co-workers had bought me a barbecued squid on a stick and ordered it "spicy". Man, it was good but I was on fire after I managed to wrestle down all the tentacles etc... Well, "hsian chiao cha" is supposed to help drop your temp a bit when you are broiling in the heat of Taiwan so they found a vendor and ordered me some. Wow. Like magic it was.
When you are feeling the heat in Taiwan or ran across a particularly spicy squid on a stick, go find this stuff. It'll help.
Cheers,
Kevin