Grass jelly
A dark, mildly bitter jelly made from Chinese mesona, eaten chilled or in drinks
Grass jelly is a soft, dark jelly made from the stalks and leaves of the Chinese mesona plant, first created by the Hakka people in China. It is enjoyed chilled as a dessert or in drinks across East and Southeast Asia, often with syrup, fruit, or milk. The jelly has a mild, slightly bitter taste and is thought to have cooling properties.
- Made from Chinese mesona, a plant in the mint family
- Has a mild, slightly bitter and smoky flavor
- Traditionally used to cool the body after field work
- Served chilled in desserts or drinks across Asia
- Green grass jelly uses different plants and has a milder taste
What is Grass jelly?
Grass jelly is a soft, wobbly dessert with a dark brown or black color. It is made from the stalks and leaves of the Chinese mesona plant, which belongs to the mint family. The jelly has a mild, slightly bitter taste with a hint of smokiness, and is often cut into cubes. Sometimes, food coloring is added to deepen its color. The texture is smooth and slippery, and it is usually served cold or at room temperature, often with syrup, fruit, or milk.
Where does Grass jelly come from?
Grass jelly was first made by the Hakka people in China, who used it as a way to cool down after working in the fields. The dish spread to Southeast Asia through the Chinese diaspora. In each place, it took on local names and forms, but the base ingredient remained the Chinese mesona plant. Over time, other plants have also been used to make similar jellies, especially in Indonesia and Vietnam.
How is Grass jelly made?
To prepare grass jelly, the stalks and leaves of Platostoma palustre are boiled with potassium carbonate and a small amount of starch for several hours. The resulting liquid is left to cool, turning into a jelly that can be cut into cubes or other shapes. In some regions, green grass jelly is made by simply mixing leaf extracts with water and letting it set, without any cooking. This version has a more neutral, leafy flavor.
How and when is Grass jelly eaten?
Grass jelly is mostly enjoyed as a chilled dessert or in drinks. In China, it is served with sugar syrup or mixed with fruit and milk. In Taiwan, it appears in bubble tea, shaved ice, or as a pudding-like dessert with toppings such as beans and taro balls. In Indonesia and Malaysia, it is added to iced drinks, soy milk, or desserts like cendol. In Mauritius, cubes of grass jelly are used in a sweet cold drink called mousse noire.
Kinds of Grass jelly
There are several types of grass jelly. Black grass jelly, made from Platostoma palustre, is the most common and can be found as an instant powder. Green grass jelly, made from other plants like Cyclea barbata or Tiliacora triandra, is popular in Indonesia and Vietnam and has a milder, leafy taste. Some versions are flavored with coffee or fruit, especially in Mauritius.
What Grass jelly means
Grass jelly is seen as a cooling food, especially valued in hot weather. It is a signature dish of the Hakka people and reflects the influence of Chinese communities across Asia. In Southeast Asia, it is part of popular desserts and drinks, and in Mauritius, it is a symbol of the Chinese-Mauritian community. The jelly is widely available in Asian supermarkets and is enjoyed both at home and in shops.
Questions people ask about Grass jelly
What is grass jelly made of?
Grass jelly is made from the stalks and leaves of the Chinese mesona plant, boiled with potassium carbonate and starch. Some regional versions use other plants for a green jelly.
Where did grass jelly originate?
Grass jelly was first created by the Hakka people in China and later spread to other parts of East and Southeast Asia through Chinese communities.
What does grass jelly taste like?
It has a mild, slightly bitter taste with a hint of smokiness. Green grass jelly, made from other plants, has a more neutral, leafy flavor.
How is grass jelly usually eaten?
Grass jelly is served chilled, often cut into cubes and added to desserts, drinks, or with syrup, fruit, or milk. It is also used in bubble tea and shaved ice.
Is grass jelly vegan?
Yes, grass jelly is plant-based and contains no animal products. It is suitable for vegan diets.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Grass jelly", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryThali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.
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