At the table
Use a spoon to take a small piece of the chilled jelly. Taste it first, then add a little garlic, vinegar or soy sauce as you prefer.
The visible pieces are cooked marine worms, not bamboo shoots. Soy sauce and other dips vary; check their ingredients before adding them.
Vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger can accompany the jelly; other sauces are also used.
The chilled savory jelly comes in a small bowl that is easy to portion, but offer it only to a child who already accepts slippery jelly and visible marine worms.
Recipes vary. Ask the restaurant about ingredients and serving before you order.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger can accompany the jelly; other sauces are also used.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory with tangy condiments
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft jelly and tender worms.
- How it’s made
- Clean and boil the worms, then cool the cooking liquid until set.
Vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger can accompany the jelly; other sauces are also used.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Fujian.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有安海土笋冻吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Why Anhai’s “earth shoots” become jelly
Anhai’s tu sun dong contains no bamboo shoots: its name refers to small worm-shaped marine animals called sipunculids, gathered from coastal mudflats. Boiling releases their gelatin into the broth, which sets into a clear chilled jelly around the visible pieces. An early-Qing account records people eating tu sun dong in Fujian; the story that Zheng Chenggong’s troops invented it remains local folklore, not a verified origin.