Grass Jelly Milk Tea with Sea Salt Cream Top

I once said to my husband, "If you cut me open, I will bleed milk tea." He asked, "Why are you so morbid?" I do not know. At that time,best restaurant in hanoi it was the only way to accurately express my love for milk tea. What can I say?  Love is real and strong.

Lately, I have something for herbal jelly in my milk tea. Milk and grass jelly with a lid of cream and a splash of sea salt? Oh Lord. Yes please!

ARE YOU PROBABLY LARGE?
Grass jelly, or Sương Sáo, is a black jelly that begins to boil the leaves and stems of the Chinese plant of Mesona, a member of the mint family. The deep dark black tea is then filtered and a little starch is added to gelatinize. Once the mixture is cooled, cut into cubes and used in many desserts and beverages from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Grass jelly serves as one of the many accessories in Bubble Tea / Boba stores. Drinking a cold sweet drink with grass jelly is a great way to cool off on hot summer days.

Herbal gelatin has many health benefits. Relieves digestive problems. It cures cancer, diabetes, mental illness and gives it wings. best restaurant in hanoi  Its flavor is earthy, with slightly bitter grass. For us silly Asians, this makes it a perfect component for desserts and drinks.

Here, in the United States, grass jelly is canned or powdered. The canned form is already done. Jelly slips like canned cranberry sauce. Just give it and add it directly to the dessert or drink. The powder form is for those who want to make it fresh or for those who want to adjust the sweetness. The package includes jelly powder, sugar and gelatin. Heat the powder with water, add the sugar and gelatin and let it set before use.

When I return to Vietnam in the near future,best restaurant in hanoi I would like to hike the Vietnam countryside, pick and dry my own grass jelly plant, and bring it home with me to the States. Until then, the canned version at my Asian grocery store is going to look great.

Trà sữa sương sáo
Trà sữa sương sáo

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GREAT LARGE MILK TEA WITH SEA CREAM TOP (TRA SUA SUONG SAO)
Yield: 1 serving

INGREDIENTS
1 cup hot water
2 black tea bags (I love Red Rose and Ten Ren brand teas)
1 can of grass jelly (cut into tiny cubes and soaked in simple syrup, overnight in the fridge for best results)
4 tablespoons brown sugar (1 part dissolved water with 1 part sugar)
3/4 cup ice
2 tablespoons heavy cream (beaten or stirred until frothy but still current)
Sprinkle with sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak tea bags in boiling water for 3-5 minutes (the longer). Refrigerate until cool.
Add grass jelly (about 1/4 cup of grass jelly), syrup and ice.
Top with cream and sea salt.