Ingredients
Jelly
- 30 gdried aiyu seeds, from the creeping fig
- 1.5 litrescool water, mineral water or hard tap water
- a muslin bag
Syrup
- 150 gsugar
- 300 mlwater
- juice of 4 lemons or limes
To serve
- plenty of crushed ice
- extra lemon slices
Sometimes
- with tapioca pearls
- with lemon aiyu, the standard Taiwanese version
Directions
- Use hard tap water or bottled mineral water, and check the label for a reasonable mineral content if you are buying it. Second, everything must be entirely free of oil and grease.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and rinse them completely, and use scrupulously clean equipment. Do not use anything that has held oily food, and rinse the bowl even if it looks clean.
- Put the seeds in a muslin or cheesecloth bag and tie it securely. Keep the bag under the surface throughout, and knead it continuously for eight to ten minutes.
- Keep going until the bag no longer feels slimy and the water has gone visibly viscous. Do not stop early, since insufficient washing gives a weak jelly that never sets firm.
- Use cool water rather than warm or hot. Heat destroys the enzyme that causes the gelling, so warm water gives a cloudy liquid that never sets.
- Take the bag out, squeeze it well, and leave the liquid undisturbed at room temperature. Do not move, stir or refrigerate it while it is setting, since disturbance breaks the forming gel.
- Make it more sour than seems reasonable, since the jelly dilutes it heavily. Cut the jelly into rough cubes with a knife or scoop it with a spoon. Put the cubes in a glass with plenty of crushed ice and pour the lemon syrup over. Serve it very cold, with a wide straw or a spoon.
Technique
- It sets cold with no heat and no gelatine, using its own natural enzyme.
- Mineral-free water will not set it, which is the commonest failure.
- Any trace of oil prevents it setting.
Substitutions
- Bottled mineral water if your tap water is soft.
- Lime in place of lemon.
Variations
- Served with tapioca pearls.
- With honey instead of sugar syrup.
- Served in a bubble tea, which is common.
History
Named in a nineteenth-century Chiayi account for a girl called Ai-Yu who sold the jelly her father made from mountain fig seeds.
Frequently asked questions
What is Aiyu Jelly?
Aiyu Jelly is a dessert from Taiwan: wobbly plant jelly in iced lemon syrup, made from washed creeping-fig seeds. Named in a nineteenth-century Chiayi account for a girl called Ai-Yu who sold the jelly her father made from mountain fig seeds.
How long does Aiyu Jelly take to make?
Aiyu Jelly takes 20 min plus 1 hr setting of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1.5 litres of jelly. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Aiyu Jelly?
Yes, within limits. Bottled mineral water if your tap water is soft. Lime in place of lemon.
What is the most important thing to get right in Aiyu Jelly?
Use hard tap water or bottled mineral water, and check the label for a reasonable mineral content if you are buying it. Second, everything must be entirely free of oil and grease.
