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Guilinggao
Gwai ling gou (龜苓膏): dark, bittersweet herbal jelly, cooled and served with syrup
Herbal tea shops along Hong Kong's busy streets sell black, glossy bowls of guilinggao as a cooling tonic in the humid months, and families keep a few cups in the fridge to eat as an afternoon snack. The jelly is firm yet smooth, deep and woody, and properly bitter, so it's eaten with a generous pour of syrup, or honey for those who aren't vegan, and sometimes a splash of coconut milk. The original is made by boiling turtle plastron with herbs for hours; the commercially sold herbal jelly powder used here is plant-based, so this is the vegetarian version. Lumps are the usual setback, which happen when the powder is added straight to hot water. Chef's tip: whisk the powder into cold water first, then pour it into the boiling water and keep stirring until it turns glossy.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the jelly
- 1 ¾ oz herbal jelly powdercheck the packet ratio and that it's plant-based and gluten free
- ¾ cup cold water
- 2 ¼ cups water
For the syrup
- 2 ⅛ oz rock sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
To serve
- 4 tbsp coconut milk (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 1 ¾ oz herbal jelly powder into ¾ cup cold water in a bowl until completely smooth, with no dry clumps.
Step 2: Bring 2 ¼ cups water to a boil in a pan, then lower the heat to medium-low. Pour in the slurry in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
3 minStep 3: Keep stirring for 3–5 minutes, until the mixture comes back to a gentle boil, thickens and turns dark and glossy.
5 minStep 4: Pour into 4 bowls or cups and skim off any bubbles. Leave to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes; it starts setting as it cools.
30 minStep 5: Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, until firm.
Step 6: Meanwhile, simmer 2 ⅛ oz rock sugar or brown sugar with ¼ cup water over a low heat for 5 minutes, until dissolved and slightly syrupy. Cool.
5 minStep 7: Pour the syrup over the jelly just before eating, adding 4 tbsp coconut milk if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does guilinggao take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rock sugar or brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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