![O-aew (comparison)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/O-aew_%28comparison%29.jpg)
''O-aew'' ( th, โอ้เอ๋ว, , , from zh, t=
薁蕘, poj=ò-giô) is a shaved ice dessert known as a local specialty of
Phuket
Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. 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
Aiyu jelly (; or ; or simply ), known in Amoy Hokkien as ''ogio'' (), and as ice jelly in Singapore (), is a jelly made from the gel from the seeds of the awkeotsang creeping fig found in Taiwan and East Asian countries of the same climates and ...
.
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 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 ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
. 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 after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
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 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''). It resembles a human kidney and thus is named after such. Red kidney beans should not be confused with other red beans, such as adzuki beans.
Classification
There are d ...
s and
grass jelly
Grass jelly, also known as leaf jelly or herb jelly, is a jelly-like dessert eaten in East and Southeast Asia. It is created by using Chinese mesona (a member of the mint family) and has a mild, slightly bitter taste. It is served chilled, wit ...
. 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
*
List of Thai desserts
This is a list of Thai khanom, comprising snacks and desserts that are a part of Thai cuisine. Some of these dishes are also a part of other cuisines. The word "khanom" ( th, ขนม), refers to snack or dessert, presumably being a compound betw ...
*
Phuket cuisine
Notes
References
*
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{{Thai cuisine
Thai desserts and snacks