''O-aew'' (, , , from zh, t=
薁蕘, poj=ò-giô) is a shaved ice dessert known as a local specialty of
Phuket
Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...
,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. Introduced by
Hokkien Chinese settlers, it is known after its main ingredient, a jelly made from seeds of the o-aew plant (a variety of the creeping fig,
''Ficus pumila'' var. ''awkeotsang''), an ingredient now most commonly found in Taiwan where it is known as
aiyu jelly.
History and preparation
''O-aew'' originated from aiyu jelly, an ingredient in Hokkien Chinese cuisine, and was introduced to Phuket by Hokkien immigrants who settled there during the boom in the
tin mining
Tin mining began early in the Bronze Age, as bronze is a copper-tin alloy. Tin is a relatively rare element in the Earth's crust, with approximately 2 ppm (parts per million), compared to iron with 50,000 ppm.
History
Tin extraction and use ca ...
industry from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. While the jelly is found today in various locations with significant Hokkien diaspora such as Taiwan and Singapore, the variety found in Phuket was most influenced by nearby
Penang
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
, in Malaysia. Several well-known vendors in Phuket's
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
have sold ''o-aew'' as a family business over multiple generations.
The dessert's main ingredient is the jelly made from seeds of the o-aew plant. The seeds are soaked and squeezed to extract a gel, which is mixed with extracted juice from the ''
nam wa'' banana.
Calcium sulphate
Calcium sulfate (or calcium sulphate) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic Salt (chemistry), salt with the chemical formula . It occurs in several Hydrate, hydrated forms; the anhydrous state (known as anhydrite) is a white crystalline solid often ...
is added as a gelling agent, and the jelly left to set overnight. It is served with crushed ice and syrup, and with toppings commonly including red
kidney bean
The kidney bean is a variety of the common bean (''Phaseolus vulgaris'') named for its resemblance to a human kidney.
Classification
There are different classifications of kidney beans, such as:
*Red kidney bean (also known as common kidney ...
s and
grass jelly
Grass jelly, also known as leaf jelly or herbal jelly, is a Gelatin, jelly-like dessert originating in China. It is commonly consumed in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is created by using Platostoma palustre, Chinese mesona (a member of the ...
. It is often ordered by referring to the colours white, red and black as a code for the ingredients: white for the ''o-aew'' jelly, red for the kidney beans, and black for the grass jelly. For example, white-red would refer to an order of ''o-aew'' with a topping of kidney beans.
See also
*
Climbing fig tofu
*
List of Thai desserts
*
Phuket cuisine
Notes
References
*
*
{{Ice-based drinks and desserts
Thai desserts and snacks
Fig dishes
Edible gels