Aiyu jelly

Aiyu jelly is a jelly made from the gel on the seeds of a variety of fig found in Taiwan and East Asian countries of the same climates and latitudes. The jelly is not commonly made or found outside of Taiwan though it can be bought fresh in specialty stores in Japan and in canned in Chinatowns. It is known as ''ò-gi?'' in and used in Taiwanese cuisine.

Origin

According to oral history, the plant and the jelly was named after the daughter of a Taiwanese tea businessman in the 1800s. The jelling property of the seeds was discovered by the businessman when he drank from a river in Chiayi, and found a clear yellowish jelly in the water he was drinking and was refreshed upon trying it. Looking above the river, he noticed fruits of vines hanging which contained seeds which exuded a sticky gel when rubbed. Upon this discovery, he gathered more of the fruits and served them at home with honeyed lemon juice or sweetened beverages. Finding the jelly containing beverage delicious and thirst-quenching, the enterprising businessman delegated the task of selling it to his beautiful 15-year-old daughter who was also named Aiyu. The snack was very well-received and became highly popular. To this, the businessman eventually named the jelly and the vines after his daughter. .

Harvesting

Fruits of the plant resemble large fig fruits the size of small mangos and are harvested in September to January just before the fruit ripens to a dark purple. The fruits are then halved and turned inside out to dry over the course of several days. The dry fruits can be sold as is, or dried aiyu seeds can then be pulled off the outside skin and sold separately.

Jelly making

The aiyu seeds are placed in a cotton cloth bag, where the bag and its contents are submerged in cold water and rubbed. A slimy gel will be extracted from the bag of aiyu seeds as it is squeezed and massaged. This is known as "washing aiyu" in Chinese . After several minutes of massaging and washing, no more of the yellowish tea coloured gel will be extracted and the contents of the bag are discarded. The washed gel is then allowed to set into a jelly either in a cool location or in the refrigerator. One must keep in mind certain things when making aiyu jelly or else the gel may not set:
#There must not be any grease in the container or water used to wash or set the gel
#Sugar must not be added to the aiyu prior to the setting of the gel
#Distilled water must not be used since the gelling depends on the presence of minerals in the water
#The seeds must not be rubbed so hard in washing as to rupture their shells.
Water will slowly seep out of the jelly some time after it sets and it will turn back to a liquid over the course of several days.

The jelly is usually served with honey and lemon juice but can also be included in other sweetened beverages or shaved ice and is particularly popular as a cool drink in hot summers. Since the gel does not dissolve in hot water, aiyu is sometimes used as an ingredient in hot pot.