Es Cincau: Iced Grass Jelly Drink in Indonesia
Es cincau: an iced drink of jelly, sweet syrup and ice
Es cincau is an iced Indonesian drink made from cincau, a dark or pale green jelly set from plant leaves, served in a sweet liquid over ice. A typical glass holds cold syrup with small cubes or strips of jelly floating in it, sometimes with coconut milk poured over the top. The taste is mild, sweet and slightly herbal. “Es” means ice or iced in Indonesian, so the name tells you what you are getting before you read the rest of the menu.
In English the jelly is usually called grass jelly, which is a fair guide to the idea but not to the drink: the jelly is only the texture, and the sweet liquid and ice around it do most of the work.
What es cincau is and how it is served
The core of the drink is the jelly. Cincau is a plant-based jelly that is cut into pieces and kept in cold water until it goes into the glass. The jelly has very little sweetness of its own, so the sugary liquid it sits in carries the flavour. In Indonesia cincau is usually served with palm-sugar water or a similar sweet liquid, with coconut milk and ice as common extras. A basic glass goes together in a simple order: ice, then jelly, then syrup, with coconut milk last if you want it.
Because so much of the glass is ice and jelly, the spoon matters more than you might expect. A straw pulls the thin syrup up quickly, while a spoon lets you scoop the soft pieces of jelly. Many people use both. The same jelly also turns up as a topping in mixed iced desserts, so you may meet it in a bowl of es campur as well as in a glass of its own.
Es cincau belongs to a wider family of Indonesian iced drinks that combine a sweet liquid, ice and a textured addition. Nearby on the same counters you will often find sweet iced tea, known as es teh manis, and fresh sugarcane juice. Cincau is different because the texture is the point. It is not a fruit drink and it is not a creamy dessert. It is a cold, light drink with something soft to chew on.
Black and green cincau: the two kinds of jelly
There are two common kinds of cincau, and they are not interchangeable. Black cincau, cincau hitam, is dark brown to near black. It is made from janggelan, a plant in the mint family whose leaves and stems are dried and then boiled for a long time, sometimes with a little starch added to firm the jelly. The result has a mild flavour with a faint bitterness that the syrup softens.
Green cincau, cincau hijau, is made from the leaves of a different plant, Cyclea barbata. The method is gentler: fresh leaves are squeezed or rubbed in water until their sap comes out, and the liquid thickens into a soft green jelly as it stands, with little or no cooking. The flavour is fresh and leafy, with almost no bitterness. If you dislike bitterness, green is the gentler choice. If you want a deeper, slightly smoky note, choose the black.
The colour is the easiest way to tell them apart on a counter. Black jelly looks like a block of strong dark tea set in a tray, while green jelly looks like a block of pale matcha. Neither is sweet in the way a candy is sweet. Both need the syrup and the ice to become a drink, and a glass can combine them if you ask.
How the jelly is made
The black jelly starts with dried janggelan. The leaves and stems are soaked, then boiled in a large amount of water for hours until the liquid darkens and releases its gelling substances. Some cooks add food-grade baking soda or a little tapioca or sago starch for a firmer set. The liquid is strained to remove the plant fragments, poured into a mould or shallow tray, and left to cool into a block that can be cut with a knife.
The green jelly skips most of that effort. The leaves are washed with clean water, squeezed by hand in water, strained and left to set at room temperature. The finished block keeps its shape but gives under light pressure, which is why it breaks easily in the glass. Some people boil the leaf water first, and a pinch of baking soda is sometimes added as a preservative.
Once cut, the cubes or strips are best kept cold and covered, in water, until they go into the glass. Cold water keeps the jelly firm and stops it drying out. Jelly that sits warm or uncovered for long turns soft and slightly sour, and the drink tastes flat. Look for jelly that is smooth, evenly coloured and covered.
The syrup, the ice and the add-ins
The liquid is a sweet syrup, usually made by boiling sugar with water. Palm sugar gives a darker, more caramel-like sweetness, and it is common in Indonesian drinks and desserts. Ordinary white sugar is also used. The amount of sugar varies from seller to seller, so the first glass you buy is a good test of how sweet the house version is.
Coconut milk, known as santan, is the most common addition. It makes the drink softer and richer, and the flavour shifts from light and herbal to something closer to a coconut dessert. Sweetened condensed milk, called kental manis, is another popular topping. It gives a similar richness with a stronger sweetness.
Ice keeps the drink cold, which is the reason most people order it in the first place. As it melts it dilutes the syrup slowly, so the drink changes a little as you drink it. The first sips are sweeter and stronger, and the last ones are lighter. If you dislike a diluted finish, drink it steadily rather than leaving it standing.
Taste and texture: what to expect in the first sip
The first thing you notice is the cold. The second is the texture. The jelly is soft with a light chew, and it slides a little over the tongue. It is not gritty, thick or starchy. When the spoon breaks a piece, the edges are soft and slightly slippery. Anyone who expects a crunch or a chewy sweet will be surprised by how gentle it is.
The flavour is mild. The jelly adds a faint herbal taste, and black cincau carries a little earthiness that reads as bitter at first and then settles. The syrup is the main taste, and it can be sweet, caramel-like or plain depending on the sugar used. Coconut milk, if added, rounds off the sharper herbal edge and makes the finish longer. The drink is not sour and it is not spicy. It lacks the bright acidity of lime or tamarind, so if that is what you want, a drink such as kunyit asam will suit you better.
It is one of the easier cold drinks to finish in a single sitting, because nothing in it is heavy.
Where you will find es cincau
Es cincau is a familiar sight across Indonesia. It appears at local markets, at roadside stalls that sell a range of cold drinks, and wherever mixed iced desserts are sold, since cincau is one of the standard toppings. It is one of the drinks that travels easily, because the jelly keeps well in cold water and can be cut to order.
Roadside stalls and markets
The drink suits a small stall with a cold box, a counter and a few jars. A typical setup has a covered tub of jelly, a pitcher of syrup, a block of ice and a row of clear cups. Some stalls sell only a handful of drinks. Others put es cincau on the same board as iced tea, fruit ice and sugarcane juice. A seller with many cold drinks is a good place to compare: try the house cincau, then move on to something different on the next visit.
Variations to look for
Recipes differ from seller to seller, with different sugar, different toppings and sometimes both kinds of jelly in one glass. Another version swaps the plain syrup for coconut milk and brown sugar, which turns the glass into a richer dessert. The first glass tells you more than any general description, so say how sweet you want it rather than assuming.
How to order es cincau at a stall
Ask for es cincau by name. Most sellers will understand at once. Some will ask whether you want the black or the green jelly, and some will ask whether you want coconut milk added. If you have no preference, either jelly works; green is the milder option for a first try.
If you want the drink less sweet, ask for less sugar. A simple request for kurang gula, meaning less sugar, is understood at most stalls. Because the syrup is usually added by the seller, this is more useful than stirring the glass later. If you want the drink without ice, say so clearly when you order, since most sellers serve it cold.
Staff at most stalls are used to visitors who point at the jelly tub or the menu board. A visitor who does not speak Indonesian can point, use a few simple words and still get a good drink.
Hygiene and simple checks before you drink
Cold drinks made with ice and cut jelly need a little care, as they do anywhere. The best sign of a careful stall is a clean counter, a covered tub of jelly and clean cups or glasses. The jelly should be kept cold and covered, not left in the sun. If the jelly looks dry at the edges or has a sour smell, choose another stall.
A visitor with a sensitive stomach may want to inspect the ice and ask where it comes from. If you are unsure about the ice, ask for the drink without it or choose a bottled or hot drink instead. A stall with a steady flow of customers is a good rule of thumb, because the jelly and the ice are replaced more often.
Who will enjoy es cincau and who should skip it
Es cincau suits a visitor who wants a light, cold and slightly sweet drink with an unusual texture. It is good on a hot afternoon, after a long walk through a market, or as a break between meals. It is also a sensible choice for anyone who wants to try a local drink without committing to something heavy or strongly flavoured.
It is less suitable for someone who dislikes jelly textures or soft, slippery food. The jelly is an important part of the drink, and if you find it unpleasant, it will spoil the whole glass. A visitor who wants a strong, bitter or sharply sour drink may find the taste too mild. If that is you, look at the sour drinks on the same stall board, or try the sugarcane juice, which is fresh and direct.
Es cincau alongside other food
Es cincau pairs well with the warm, sweet and fried foods that are sold at the same stalls. A glass of the cold drink next to a plate of fried snacks makes a balanced break, because the cold and the soft texture of the jelly cut through the oil. If you want something sweet to follow, a warm dessert such as kolak pisang, banana cooked in palm sugar and coconut syrup, offers a contrast of warm and cold. Bubur sumsum, a soft rice flour pudding with palm sugar, is another gentle sweet that suits the same mood.
For a more complete meal, choose a stall that also sells rice dishes. Many warungs serve a plate of rice with simple sides and a cold drink. The sweetness of the syrup helps balance the heat of a sambal-heavy plate, so the drink is a sensible companion if you are eating something spicy.
Questions people ask about es cincau
Is es cincau the same as grass jelly?
Cincau is the Indonesian name for grass jelly, a jelly made from plant leaves, and the drink is usually called a grass jelly drink in English. At a stall, cincau is the word to use, and it lets you ask for the black or the green jelly by name.
Is es cincau sweet?
Yes, it is sweet, because the syrup is sweet. The jelly itself has little taste, so the sweetness comes from the liquid. If you want it lighter, ask for less sugar. If you prefer a richer drink, ask for the coconut milk.
Can I drink es cincau without ice?
Yes. Ask for it without ice. The drink will be less cold and slightly more concentrated in taste, so many visitors prefer it with ice in the heat.
What is the difference between black and green cincau?
Black cincau is darker, with a soft, earthy taste and a little bitterness. Green cincau is paler, milder and leafier. Both are soft and slightly slippery, and both are served in the same way. The choice comes down to whether you like a deeper taste or a lighter one.
Is es cincau good for a child?
Many children enjoy the texture of the jelly and the sweet syrup. Ask for less sugar if you want a lighter drink for a younger child, and choose a stall with clean cups and covered jelly, as you would for any cold drink.
Plan your next stop for cold drinks
Es cincau is one of the most useful drinks to know in Indonesia, because it is widely available and easy to order. Try the black jelly once and the green jelly once, and you will know which one you prefer. The wider range of cold drinks that sit alongside it on the same menus is compared in the guide to iced drinks in Indonesia.
Related guides: es kepal milo, rosella in Indonesia, Dawet: Iced Green Drink With Palm Sugar and Coconut.