Rasta Pasta
Proud Member
Re: September 2. News & Mentionings
interesting................
Snapshots from Asia: I’d Like a Michael Jackson, Please
Posted by Wan Yan Ling, September 1, 2008 at 2:00 PM
In Singapore, it is not uncommon for my grandparents' generation to speak numerous dialects, but only a smattering of English. So imagine my surprise when I heard a grandfatherly type holler at a coffee shop, "Lao ban, lai yi bei Michael Jackson." ("Boss, give me a glass of Michael Jackson.")
Michael Jackson? What is this, a new type of beer? I stay to look and it turns out a Michael Jackson is no alcoholic drink, but a virtuous concoction of creamy soy milk and squiggles of immortal jelly.
I haven't a clue why the black jelly is considered "immortal" (I suspect ad man involvement), but it is also known locally as chin chow, or grass jelly. Made by boiling the dried leaves and stalks of the Mesona chinensis (a member of the mint family) in water and potassium carbonate, the strained liquid cools and sets to a gelatin-like consistency. Once set, it is cut into ribbons and served bobbing in simple syrup or added to shaved ice desserts like ice kacang.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/09/snapshots_from_asia_id_like_a_michael_jackson.htmlhttp://www.seriouseats.com/2008/09/snapshots_from_asia_id_like_a_michael_jackson.html
interesting................