It's a Matter of Taste: Jello

     I love Jello so much! I've been eating Jello since I was little and I usually eat this as a dessert after lunch and dinner. Every time my mom and I went to the grocery store, we always get one pack of Jello. Those come in 25 small Jellos in a pack and some are in 35, I think. Those were the days where I could only eat a few pieces, but now I'm already grown up, I eat lots of these! : ) On some days, my mom or my sisters would make Jello using agar agar bars which come in four bars per pack. I remember them say that the measurement would be four cups or water for every bar so it will be like twelve cups of water for the four bars. The bars have different colors to choose from but my mom and sisters like red best. They would cook it with flavorings and fruits, then pour it in a nice mould where they would set it about a few minutes then refrigerate. My mom is pretty much a perfectionist when it comes to making Jello and Flans, that's why she has this clean, white catcha cloth to sift the boiling liquid Jello first before pouring it in the mould so that this will make the Jello crystal clear, separating any lumps from it. I'm also a big fan of Broken Cathedral, it's a type of clear Jello combined with cream (as the base) and has sliced colorful Jellos scattered into the cream base. It looked like broken pieces of stained glass from church windows bonded together with white cement and that's where the name came from. : )

     As time passes, agar agar powder was invented and is much easier to cook. My family and I tried different brands at first, to know which one is the best. We also followed the instruction on how to cook it and we always pay attention to the amount of water needed. We want our chilled Jello to have that bouncy and smooth texture to it. No one likes rubbery-hard Jello of course! So we tried and experimented several brands until we found the best and we also found out that the amount of water based on the instructions on the back of the sachet was not enough. Eventually, after how many experiments, we now have our own personalized procedure.

     In cooking, you must always keep in mind that everyone has his or her own way of cooking something, and you must never be afraid to add your own personal touch to it. As for Jello, some like it too sweet while some like it tasteless - especially if they would add something else along with Jello, like ice cream. Some also would like Jello to be gummy while some would like it soft that melts in their mouth. So as for us, we like it just right. We still add fruits and juices to make it more delicious and healthy. The picture above is the one I made at home last few days ago. I added lots of fruit cocktails to it and it's very yummy and refreshing!~