Hi recipes7

Though I never made it myself before.  But I remembered hearing older nonyas calling the hard jelly "Chiok Huay".  If you go wet market, maybe just ask them for this jelly by this name, you should be able to make it when you ask the vendors at the same time.

Rgds

I used to go to Siglap Market(when it was still there)and Katong Market to buy the stuff from one of the shops there for my Mum who would make it to perfection and she would also decorate it with the red paper cutting around it. Seaweed? I reckon plus an awful lot of sugar! Plus some essence for the smell or daun pandan. That was a long time ago. ;D

Hi

The agar agar we know of, is rather simple to make.  Just buy the agar agar strips, boil them and add in sugar and rock sugar, boil till the agar agar strips caramelize in a yellowish colour. 

Remove any white impurities.  Make sure there is enough rock sugar and you really boil it till it gets really thick.  So when you leave it to set, it will become the hard crispy agar you waiting for.  The type that doesn't come out water if left alone in the open.

The key is must put enough rock sugar and stir it till it gets dry and thick.  It is very sweet, but no choice, that's why our family always cut it into thin slices to eat them, or cut them into cubes and eat it with tinned longans.

Rgds