Grass jelly was invented by the Hakka people who historically used the food to alleviate heat stroke after long days working in the field.

Grass jelly is made by boiling the aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of Platostoma palustre (Mesona chinensis)[3][4] with potassium carbonate and a little starch for several hours.

[3][5] The jelly is then mixed with syrup to produce a drink or dessert thought to have cooling (yin) properties, suitable for hot weather.

Preparation of other variants, known as green grass jelly, requires no cooking or heating process and is made from only a mixture of leaf extracts and water.

In Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, grass jelly was traditionally served with sugar syrup.

Now it is often served mixed with other ingredients, such as mango, sago, watermelon, cantaloupe, and other fresh or canned fruit, and condensed or evaporated milk.

Grass jelly is known as cincau in Indonesian, which is derived from the Amoy Hokkien word 清草 (chhin chháu).

Mixing leaf extract and water with the addition of a period of waiting time for coagulation at mild room temperature is enough.

Due to its plain neutral flavor, it is usually consumed with sugar water, syrup, coconut milk, and ice.

In Thailand, grass jelly is known as chaokuai (Thai: เฉาก๊วย, pronounced [t͡ɕʰǎw.kúa̯j]) derived from Teochew (Chinese: 草粿, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tsháu-kué).

Grass jelly is chopped in small cubes and served as an additional ingredient in sweet desserts made from various kinds of beans (chè).