Hot Grass Jelly Soup | Taipei Signature Dish

Once autumn arrives in Taipei, queues form in front of the grass jelly stalls at Shida Night Market — a deep black, velvety herb broth drifting with the faint bitter fragrance of dried grass jelly, afloat with taro balls, peanuts, and tapioca pearls. Pick up a bowl and warmth travels from your palms straight to your chest. Shao xian cao is Taiwan's quintessential winter night market ritual drink. In the Shida shopping district, packed with university students, it's the most common way to cap off a study-filled evening.

What is Hot Grass Jelly Soup

Dried grass jelly (the dried plant) is simmered for a long time, strained, then thickened lightly with tapioca starch or sweet potato starch to form a dark brownish black, slightly viscous warm broth. The aroma carries a pronounced herbal bitterness and sweetness, quite unlike ordinary sweet drinks. The hot version comes loaded with toppings: taro balls, glutinous rice balls, peanuts, tapioca pearls, and red beans can all be combined freely. The chewy sweetness of the toppings balances the herb broth's mild bitterness, creating layers of flavor. A cold version is also available in summer, lighter and more refreshing.

Grass jelly has a long history in Taiwan's Hakka food traditions, originally a folk herbal drink taken to relieve summer heat. The word 'shao' in Hokkien means hot, so shao xian cao simply means 'hot grass jelly' — the result of Taiwan adapting a cold drink into a winter warmer. Shida Night Market sits next to National Taiwan Normal University, making students the main clientele. The stalls thrive on their value and the handy take-away format — a drink you can hold while standing — which has made this one of the most recognizable hot drinks at the market.

How to drink it the local way

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Taro balls are the best matchThe starchy sweetness of taro balls complements the mild bitterness of the grass jelly broth most effectively. For a first visit, order the basic combination of taro balls and peanuts.

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Drink it hot to catch the full herb aromaThe plant fragrance of grass jelly is richest at high temperature; as it cools the herb flavor fades and the thickened texture changes. Drink it while hot.

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Try the cold version in summerIced grass jelly soup served in summer is light and not sticky, the broth diluted with ice for a refreshing chill — a good way to compare the two seasonal characters.

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Don't pile on too many toppings and bury the herbTwo to three toppings is enough. Too many and the herb broth gets buried, making it hard to taste the bittersweet base note of the grass jelly itself.

Local knowledge

Objective background

How it's made: dried grass jelly is simmered, strained, and thickened with tapioca starch into a dark brown broth. The hot version is served with taro balls, tapioca pearls, and peanuts. It is one of Taiwan's defining winter night market drinks.
Shida Night Market (the Shida Road and Longquan Street area) is a well-known university-district night market in Taipei, with a predominantly student clientele and a high density of snack and drink stalls.

Practical tips

Shao xian cao is strongly seasonal — winter (roughly October to March) is peak season. Some stalls switch to cold drinks in summer, so hot versions are not available year-round.
Shida Night Market draws big crowds on weekends; queues at grass jelly stalls are common, and some stalls limit topping quantities. Go early to be safe.
The MRT Taipower Building Station is within walking distance of Shida Road. Parking along Shida Road is difficult; walking or arriving by scooter is more practical.

Source: survey of traditional Taiwanese drink culture and fieldwork at Shida Night Market. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own shots.

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