Grass jelly, a dessert with a jelly-like texture, is crafted from a plant known as Chinese mesona, part of the mint family. In Vietnamese, it goes by the name (thạch) sương sáo. Sương sáo brings its unique herbal flavor to the table, making it a perfect match for coconut-infused desserts or the classic bubble milk tea.

Back in the day, before the advent of the canned version, crafting sương sáo required boiling the stalks and leaves until a starchy concoction formed. Then, you’d let it chill in the fridge for hours until it set. With technology stepping in, the scratch-making process took a back seat. Grass jelly powder hit the shelves, enabling folks to easily prepare it following the instructions on the package. Nowadays, various brands offer canned grass jelly, a time-saving alternative.

Now, for this particular recipe, I’ve got you covered with ingredients you can snag from Amazing Oriental (the Netherlands’ biggest Asian store chain) or any Asian store nearby.

Let’s not waste any more time – let’s jump straight into it!

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Preptime: 10 MIN

Cook Time: 5 MIN

Total Time: 15 MIN

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 1/3 can grass jelly
• 1 can toddy palm seeds
• 1 can coconut strips
• 1 small can coconut milk (250ml)
• palm sugar
• 1 tsp corn starch
• a pinch of salt
• ice cubes
• (optional) roasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Instructions:

1. Open the grass jelly cans and cut the jelly into small pieces
2. Strain the excess syrup from the palm seeds & coconut strips cans and keep some of them aside for later
3. Cut the palm seeds into slices
4. In a sauce pan, pour in the coconut milk following with palm sugar (adjust the sweetness to your liking), salt and the mixture of dissolved cornstarch in water
5. Cook the coconut until slightly thicken and let it cool down
6. In a bowl or a tall glass, assemble your dessert in this order: ice cubes, grass jelly, palm seeds, coconut strips, the syrup we saved from the can, cooled down coconut milk, and finally roasted sesame seeds.