MAYrathon Day 24: Grass Jelly Drink (Banana Flavor)

Well, here it is, my last item form the Asian Market, and the first one that caught my eye when I was initially picking stuff up. Grass Jelly Drink. The name alone called out to my curiosities. The photo was equal party horrifying and intriguing. It looks like a black sludge with a straw. I can't tell if that is supposed to be ice or if there are chunks of grass jelly in the can itself. And I didn't even see this until I got it out of the fridge today - it's banana flavored. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

So there's a picture I found online of a common grass jelly drink. I don't feel like going into too much of a history lesson today, but supposedly grass jelly itself comes from the leaves and stalks of the mesona plant popular in the Eastern side of the world. It's most popular as a gelatin substance served mixed with syrup, cream, milk or as a beverage mixed with other fruit flavors. I was initially prepared to be really grossed out by this, but I have to be honest, I am curious as hell. I am going to go for a double-taster. First, I just want to take a sip of the beverage by itself. Then I'll pour the whole thing into a glass, chunks and all, and try some grass jelly jello, or wherever it's actually called.

Cracking open the can delivers and overwhelming smell of banana. I wish I had known originally that this was flavored because I would have looked for the "original" flavor. I feel like all I am going to get is banana.

I have this vague childhood memory of banana milk. I don't know if it was put out my Nesquick or Yoo Hoo or if it was its own product, but I remember the sweet taste distinctly after tasting this. It's really good. As I thought, the banana flavor overpowers everything, but it's sweet, refreshing and nostalgic. I'd drink this again in a heartbeat. All the chunks immediately settled at the bottom and it was hard getting them out of the can. Bottom's up:

The brown, murky color and dark, gelatinous blobs are visually disconcerting. but the taste is still pretty great. I'm very impressed and surprised by ow much I like this. If it wasn't so weird and rare, I would certainly consider making grass jelly part of a balanced McConnell breakfast. Move over breakfast ribs and breakfast beer, there's a new sheriff in town!