Food Network
Grass jelly drinks like this one are popular in Hong Kong–style cafés, where they might also be referred to as leung fan bing (literally “grass jelly ice” in Cantonese). Grass jelly (leung fan or liang fen) is made from a Chinese plant closely related to mint. With a distinct herbal flavor and slight bitterness, it’s typically paired with sweet ingredients, particularly sugar syrups or fruits. This version mixes cubes of it with a brown sugar syrup, soymilk and ice for a refreshing and slightly creamy drink that mimics boba milk teas. Pandan leaf (found in the frozen aisle of Asian supermarkets) is infused into our syrup for added flavor. We tested the same recipe with cold water as a substitute for soymilk and found it fresh and cooling, similar to iced tea, so feel free to try that version as well.
