Chrysanthemum Tea Jelly

Yesterday was an extremely hot and humid day in Toronto! I decided to make a chrysanthemum tea jelly with goji berries (also called wolfberries) since one, I was on vacation, and two, chrysanthemum tea is supposed to be "cooling" which makes it perfect for such a day. This is a traditional Chinese dessert where chrysanthemum and goji berries are often brewed into a tea.

Goji berries are also used in traditional soups but they have become popular because of the purposed health benefits associated with the antioxidants. But, the amount I used here won't supply very much. One interesting fact I found out about the goji berry is that the propagation of the plant in Ningxia, China (this area has been growing the plant for over 600 years) helps to turn desert areas into arable land and prevent the spread of desertification that would make the land useless. Check out this article in the Beijing Review.

Set in a jelly mold with different flower and leaf shapes.

You'll notice the chrysanthemum flowers in the picture are very small. You may also find larger blossoms sold in an Asian supermarket (I actually used larger yellow ones in the recipe as they are less expensive). Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China and have been prized for their beauty since ancient times. There are many varieties of Chrysanthemum flowers, but the ones used in making tea are usually white or yellow blossoms.

Enjoy the jelly alone or with some Long Jing Dragonwell green tea. The chrysanthemum taste went well with the green tea grassy taste but the sweetness of the jelly also accented the slight bitterness in the tea.

For those interested in the recipe:

Ingredients:
5g agar-agar (strips)
20g dried chrysanthemum flowers (i like my flavour to be strong so you can use less if you prefer a more mild taste)
1.5 cups boiling water
700ml of water
1/2c of granulated sugar

Instructions:
1. Soak the agar-agar strips in water for 1 hour and cut into tiny pieces.
2. Steep the chrysanthemum flowers in the boiling water for 30 mins. (Steep time may be reduced as desired.)
3. Bring the 700ml of water to a boil and add the agar-agar. Reduce the heat to medium, put the lid back on but slightly ajar, ensure the water is still lightly boiling.
4. Dissolve the agar-agar in the water mixture, stirring occasionally. It will take 10-15 mins to dissolve.
5. Add the sugar to the agar-agar water. You can adjust the sugar amount to your liking. I have made this with just under a 1/2 cup of sugar and it still tastes great.
6. Turn off the heat. Drain the chrysanthemum flowers, add the resulting tea to the agar-agar water.
7. Pour the liquid into a pan or mold and let sit. The jelly will set at room temperature but you can put into the fridge once cooled.