Aiyu Jelly - Jelly Making

Jelly Making

The aiyu seeds are placed in a cotton cloth bag, and the bag and its contents are submerged in cold water and rubbed. A slimy gel will be extracted from the bag of aiyu seeds as it is squeezed and massaged. This is known as "washing aiyu" in Chinese (洗愛玉). After several minutes of massaging and washing, no more of the yellowish tea-coloured gel will be extracted, and the contents of the bag are discarded. The washed gel is then allowed to set into a jelly either in a cool location or in the refrigerator. One must keep in mind certain things when making aiyu jelly or else the gel may not set:

1. There must not be any grease in the container or water used to wash or set the gel,
2. Sugar must not be added to the aiyu prior to the setting of the gel,
3. Distilled water must not be used since the gelling depends on the presence of minerals in the water,
4. During washing, the seeds must not be rubbed so hard as to rupture their shells.

Water will slowly seep out of the jelly some time after it sets, and it will turn back to a liquid over the course of several days.

The jelly is usually served with honey and lemon juice but can also be included in other sweetened beverages or shaved ice and is particularly popular as a cool drink in hot summers. Since the gel does not dissolve in hot water, aiyu is sometimes used as an ingredient in hot pot.