cendol

Cendol is a traditional Southeast Asian dessert and beverage consisting of green rice-flour jelly (cendol) produced with pandan leaf juice, formed into thin ribbons and served in a sweet base of coconut milk and palm sugar syrup over shaved ice. The jelly is made by mixing rice flour with pandan juice and sometimes a small amount of food coloring, then extruding the batter through a perforated tool into boiling water to create long, noodle-like strands that are cooled and rinsed before use.

In serving, cendol is typically presented as es cendol or air cendol, a cold dessert-drink. A generous amount of chilled coconut milk and palm sugar syrup (often gula Melaka or gula jawa) is poured over the jelly, followed by shaved ice. Regional variations may include toppings such as red beans, sweet corn, jackfruit, or durian, and some versions use additional ingredients like mung beans or chewy rice flour dumplings.

Cendol is widely associated with the Malay world and is a popular street-food item in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Its exact origins are not definitively documented, but it is regarded as a traditional dessert of the region, with numerous local adaptations in ingredients, preparation, and presentation.