Kay's Lilly Flower Jelly Seed

Description

Also called aiyu jelly in Chinese, ogio in Taiwanese, and ice jelly in Singapore, the seeds of a variety of fig found in Taiwan gels into a refreshing natural jelly without pectin. It is softer than konyaku or agar agar and is often simply served cold with lime slices, or with honey and lemon. Stories attribute the discovery of this jelly to a Taiwanese tea businessman in the 1800s. As he drank from a creek, he found jelly in the water and noticed figs hanging from vines. When the seeds of this fruit were rubbed, a sticky gel was produced. The enterprising businessman tasked his daughter Aiyu to sell this jelly, and named it after her. Bits of jelly in a cold beverage is especially invigorating.