Aiyu jelly

Aiyu jelly

Aiyu jelly served with a slice of lime and cranberries
Alternative names	Ice jelly
Place of origin	Taiwan
Main ingredients	Fig seed gel

Aiyu jelly (Chinese: ; pinyin: àiyùbīng; or ; àiyùdòng; or simply ; àiyù), known in Taiwanese Hokkien as ogio (Chinese: ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ò-giô), and as ice jelly in Singapore (Chinese: ; pinyin: wéntóu xǔe), is a jelly made from the gel from the seeds of a variety of fig (Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang) found in Taiwan and East Asian countries of the same climates and latitudes. The jelly is not commonly made or found outside of Taiwan and Singapore, though it can be bought fresh in specialty stores in Japan and canned in Chinatowns. It is also used in Taiwanese cuisine.

It is also available and popular in the small historical town of Ipoh in Malaysia. It's known as Aiyu Jelly or by its local Cantonese dialect, wan tau long. It is commonly served with a slice of lime.

According to oral history, the plant and the jelly were named after the daughter of a Taiwanese tea businessman in the 1800s. The jelling property of the seeds was discovered by the businessman as he drank from a creek in Chiayi. He found a clear yellowish jelly in the water he was drinking and was refreshed upon trying it. Looking above the creek he noticed fruits on hanging vines. The fruits contained seeds that exuded a sticky gel when rubbed.

Upon this discovery, he gathered some of the fruits and served them at home with honeyed lemon juice or sweetened beverages. Finding the jelly-containing beverage delicious and thirst-quenching, the enterprising businessman delegated the task of selling it to his beautiful 15-year-old daughter, Aiyu. The snack was very well received and became highly popular. So, the businessman eventually named the jelly and the vines after his daughter.