Quanzhou Seaweed Jelly 石花膏
Quanzhou Seaweed Jelly is featured among the local specialties of Fujian.
Shihua gao is made from shihuacao, a seaweed whose extracted gel sets into a delicate jelly. Quanzhou's official culinary account describes repeated soaking and drying to reduce the seaweed's strong marine smell, followed by slow simmering to extract its gelatinous material. The liquid is filtered and left to cool into a translucent amber gel. An older government tourism description explains scraping the set jelly into fine, even strips. This process produces the slippery, lightly yielding texture that distinguishes the food from an opaque pudding or a bowl of solid fruit pieces.
Flavour, texture & local variations
The simple serving is sweetened with sugar or honey; a little lemon juice is another documented addition. Modern bowls may combine the jelly with the numerous ingredients of siguotang, but those mixtures should not obscure the identity of the jelly itself. The illustration selects a plain bowl of pale amber strips in lightly sweetened liquid. Ask whether you are ordering shihua jelly alone or a mixed dessert, and which sweetener is used. A simple portion lets you compare the nearly clear gel and its soft texture before choosing a bowl with fruit, beans or other additions.
How it is prepared
Soak and dry the seaweed, simmer to extract gel, filter and cool until set, then scrape into strips and add lightly sweetened liquid.
Ingredients to check
Shihuacao seaweed and water for the jelly; sugar or honey for the simple serving, with optional lemon juice.
Ordering this dish
Specify plain shihua jelly or a mixed dessert, and ask about honey, sugar and optional lemon before choosing extra toppings.
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Sources & reading
Identity and the described preparation reviewed against the linked government culinary sources on 9 September 2026. The illustrated preparation is a documented example; vendors may use different ingredients and presentation. Ordering suggestions are editorial guidance. No recipe testing, exclusive origin, current availability or dietary certification is claimed.
Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.