Description
🚚 The fastest delivery : 2-day delivery.
🐝 Supplier / Origin : Taiwan
🔖 Certification :
🌱 Supplier introduction :
餸您健康是本地一個有特色的網上買餸平台，與超過30個本地農場及進口商合作，提供超過1,500種貨品，包括蔬果、肉類、海鮮水產、家禽雞蛋等。Healthy Express is a unique local farm online shopping platform. It cooperates with more than 30 local farms and importers to provide more than 1,500 Products.
🛍 Product Information :
Dried Mesona chinensis, commonly known as 仙草乾 (xiān cǎo gān), is a traditional herbal ingredient central to Taiwanese and Chinese cuisine. It is the dried stems and leaves of the mesona plant (also called grass jelly herb or凉粉草), valued for its natural gelling properties, unique earthy-sweet aroma, and cooling effects. Taiwan produces high-quality mesona, especially in Hsinchu County’s Guanxi Township (新竹關西), known as the “hometown of mesona” due to its ideal climate and water quality.
Origin and Production
Main Cultivation Areas: Primarily Guanxi in Hsinchu, with secondary areas in Chiayi, Changhua, Miaoli, and others. Taiwan grows varieties like Taoyuan No. 1 (high gel content, good for jelly) and Taoyuan No. 2 (fragrant, suited for tea).
Harvest and Processing: Planted in March–April, harvested in September–October. After sun-drying, it undergoes “aging” (熟成) in cool, dry warehouses for 8 months to 2–3+ years. This develops the signature aroma, reduces grassy notes, and enhances gelling power. Older “lao xiancao” (老仙草) is prized for deeper flavor.
Taiwan vs. Imports: Taiwan’s mesona is premium, but imports from Indonesia, China, and Vietnam are common due to volume. Look for products with traceability (e.g., Taiwan GAP or origin labeling) for authenticity.
🥘 Recipe：
Culinary Applications
Classic Grass Jelly (仙草凍): Boil dried mesona, strain, add starch (e.g., sweet potato or tapioca), and cool to set. Serve cold with syrup, red beans, peanuts, or in shaved ice.
Mesona Tea (仙草茶): Simmer for a refreshing drink; hot or iced.
Hot Desserts: Burnt mesona (燒仙草) with toppings; mesona chicken soup (仙草雞湯) for nourishing meals.
Other Uses: In soups, herbal blends, or modern drinks. Excellent for restaurant menus emphasizing seasonal, cooling Taiwanese/HK-style desserts.
Basic Home Recipe (仙草茶/凍):
- Rinse 50–100g dried mesona.
- Boil in 2–3L water, simmer 1–3 hours until deeply colored and fragrant.
- For tea: Strain and sweeten. For jelly: Add starch, stir, cool/refrigerate.
- Adjust ratios for desired strength. Longer-aged herbs yield better results.
HK Market Relevance
In Hong Kong, Taiwanese dried mesona appeals for its premium quality and authenticity in summer menus, herbal shops, or e-commerce. It fits “not in season, not to eat” (不時不食) principles and pairs well with local ingredients like mango or red beans. Great for restaurant clients seeking natural, functional desserts.
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