On its own the jelly isn't all that sweet.
Grass jelly, also known as chin chow and by other names, is often waved into the dessert section by virtue of its add-ins — here, amber strips of sea coconut plus crushed ice (S$1.80, about US$1.35 at the time). Perhaps a tot of syrup, too, since the translucent black jelly, prepared from the dried stalks and leaves of Mesona chinensis, has a slightly bitter note. The plant, a member of the mint family, may also have been the featured ingredient in glutinous rice balls I scored on the street, back in New York.
The awning, shown below, offers information on Mesona chinensis and its purported medicinal benefits; click for a closer look. Also note the large "A": Letter grades like this have been bestowed on hawker stalls by Singaporean health authorities for many years now, with no apparent ill effect.
Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly
Golden Mile Food Centre, stall 01-58, Singapore
(From a summer 2010 visit)
