At the table
Use a spoon, break larger pieces and mix in the topping to taste. Ask what sweetener is used before ordering.
Slippery jelly should be taken in small spoonfuls; sweetness alone does not make it suitable for every child.
Thickeners and toppings vary. This is the rice-flour version; honey and sugar are alternative serving choices.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Thickeners and toppings vary. This is the rice-flour version; honey and sugar are alternative serving choices.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Mildly herbal; sweetness comes from the topping.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Smooth, soft and gently springy.
- How it’s made
- Mesona herb is simmered and strained; rice-flour slurry is cooked into the liquid, then cooled to set.
Thickeners and toppings vary. This is the rice-flour version; honey and sugar are alternative serving choices.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Guangdong.
About this regional connection
Guangdong: Chaozhou cao-guo rice-flour representative; regional grass-jelly family, not savoury starch noodles.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有潮汕凉粉吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A cool sweet bowl in Chaoshan
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Cao guo belongs to Chaoshan’s sweet-snack tradition. It has been sold from pushcarts as well as sweet-soup shops, where a bowl of soft herbal jelly can be dressed simply with sugar or honey.