Dawet — Central Java, Indonesia

Dawet is a sweet, cold drink reported from Central Java, closely related to cendol found elsewhere in the archipelago and beyond, built around small, chewy jelly strands colored and flavored with pandan. The strands are cut short enough to be sipped up through a straw or scooped with a spoon alongside the other ingredients. It is sold by street vendors and at markets across Central Java, especially in warm weather, and is often associated with the town of Banjarnegara. It is typically drunk as a refreshment in the middle of the day rather than after a meal. To prepare it, rice flour and tapioca starch are cooked with pandan-infused water into a thick, green paste, which is pressed through a perforated ladle or mold directly into cold water so that it sets into short jelly strands. It is served in a glass with coconut milk, a syrup of melted palm sugar, and crushed ice. What separates this drink from similar iced desserts of the region is the particular chewiness and pandan flavor of its jelly strands and the balance kept between coconut milk and palm sugar syrup; some vendors add grated young coconut, jackfruit or grass jelly as extra additions.