Thursday, July 27, 2006

Grass Jelly Drink

I finally got together with the family to taste my Grass Jelly Drink. The kids think I'm nuts. Eric wouldn't try it, either. I must say, it looked pretty nasty. It came out of the can as a dark water, like you get when you mix all the Easter dyes together when you're finished coloring your eggs.




I flashed back to the time I barfed on my parents' bedroom floor when I was nine. That color looked familiar...

It tasted like flat pop. If it weren't for those chunky gel bits, I bet you could call it energy tea and people would drink it without another thought. Like most gross things, it sounds much more appealing in French: boisson aux gelees d'herbe.

The ingredients were pretty simple: water, grass jelly (whatever the hell that is), cane sugar, corn starch, and honey. I suppose, since there's cane sugar in it, it's not technically vegetarian, so I have an excuse never to drink it again. But as I say, it's not so horrible. Not so good, either. But I could drink it. Maybe just strain it first.

Mmm. Grass Jelly Drink. Good to the last drop--er, chunk.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

yuck. i'd forgotten about those chunks; that was what made it so gross.
i owe you five bucks. i was certain you wouldnt drink it all.

Anonymous said...

but wait....why would cane sugar make it non-vegetarian?

Amy said...

Well, keep your five bucks. I didn't drink it all. Good to the last drop--yeah, it was good to watch those last drops as I tipped the glass down the sink.

Cane sugar is processed using bone black, which is made from charred animal bones. There isn't any bone black in the sugar itself, it's only used in the refining process; I prefer to avoid it.

But let's not get bogged down in the vagaries of my dietary ethics. Grass jelly drink as entertainment was worth some charred animal bones in my book. Inconsistent soul that I am. Or should I say, "Fickle, aren't I?"

Anonymous said...

I have the same question as Riley... why does cane sugar make it not technically vegetarian? Last time I looked sugar cane was a grass!

WilliamWatch said...

Ok, I've just spotted the bone black thing. Here in Australia I'm sure it's just made using regular old charcoal...

Amy said...

Oooh! William's pic on my blog! Happy day!

WilliamWatch said...

Link my blog back to yours and you can have it there all the time! I think you can subscribe somehow too.

Kath

Unknown said...

I love grass jelly drinks :D but then i like all that bubble tea busines too...