Jellies & Gelatins
Herbal Jelly
龟苓膏
China
A near-black bitter jelly set from a decoction of smilax root and other medicinal herbs, eaten with honey or condensed milk poured over.
Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Herbal Jelly.
A near-black bitter jelly set from a decoction of smilax root and other medicinal herbs, eaten with honey or condensed milk poured over.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
It is genuinely bitter and the honey is not optional for most people. Sold in herbal dessert shops in the south, warm or chilled.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Herbal Jelly.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…
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Japan
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Bahrain
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Philippines
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Quebec, Canada
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Indonesia
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Vietnam
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Three-color Vietnamese dessert with layers of green pandan jelly, yellow mung bean paste, and red kidney beans, topped with coconut cream and crushed ice.