296099 Wed Feb 11 13:53:01 -0800 2004 6 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1629846 A long time ago I worked at a restaurant in NYC that was near Chinatown. One day my chef came in with a package that he said he bought because it looked interesting. Inside were what looked to be vitamin E but were honeysuckle essence. Recently I saw a powder on Clement st in SF but it was mixed with another flower. Does anyone know: 1. what I'm talking about? 2. Specific information on what the package says, & what kind of store in Chinatown would carry it?? Thanks, Shuna Lydon (pastry chef) Wed Feb 11 13:53:01 -0800 2004 0 sailorbuoy 1 1629849 I haven't seen it, but I suspect that a store that sells Chinese medicines and medicinal herbs would carry it. I can see why a pastry chef would want some of that, too--good luck in hunting it down. Wed Feb 11 14:28:54 -0800 2004 1629846 0 BarbaraF 1 1629867 I know exactly what you're talking about. The little jelly cups with the white cube in the middle. The jelly started with only lychee flavour. That was almost 4 years ago. Then I started seeing mango, melons, etc. They were really popular in Toronto then, partly because we had such a huge Chinese population. There were a couple of incidents where little kids choked on them. And stores stopped selling them. I have not paid attention to them since then. I am not sure if many stores are selling them in Toronto anymore. Wed Feb 11 17:38:45 -0800 2004 1629846 0 Cecilia 2 1629884 They sounded so intriguing, I did a search, only to find they've been recalled because of the choking hazard. Wed Feb 11 19:48:19 -0800 2004 1629867 0 Pat Hammond 3 1629888 I love these things. The lychee flavor is the best. I saw them lately in tube form (about 1/2 inch diameter and maybe 6-8 inches long). They don't have the cube in the center anymore, but they taste exactly the same and the jelly has the same bizarre consistency as before. Wed Feb 11 20:03:13 -0800 2004 1629884 0 cheyenne 1 1629887 Is it a type of medicine? Is it related to Yin Chiao? The primary ingredient in this stuff is Honeysuckle. It is used to prevent colds but usually is in a tablet form. (www.yinchiao.com has info on this stuff.) You can get this in any Chinese medicine store and most of the Chinese groceries. Just check the label to be sure it doesn't have weird ingredients like acetaminophen.. I have seen some new brands that are more 'Americanized' lately. The powder with honeysuckle and another flower may have been forsythia--used to make capsules for colds. (Lychee jellies are a type of candy/treat. I have never seen honeysuckle flavor before. I've seen them sold lately in long plastic tubes, I guess to prevent kids from inhaling them and choking...) Wed Feb 11 20:00:23 -0800 2004 1629846 0 cheyenne 1 1629901 Be careful about using Chinese "medicines" as a flavoring agent. Some of the ingredients, while "natural" and "herbal" can be quite potent as medicines and may have some undesirable effects. Additionally, some Chinese herbal products (especially highly processed ones) have been doctored with conventional pharmaceuticals, including compounds like acetaminophen, stimulants, and antibiotics/antiseptics. The FDA doesn't have the authority to tightly regulate most herbal products, and usual casts a blind eye at foreign herbal supplements and there's no guarantee that your honeysuckle extract was made with food-grade ingredients. I would go to an established Chinese herbalist and ask him or her about the products that you choose to use in your food-- they may even be able to sell you some high quality honeysuckle flowers that you can use to flavor your pastries. But honeysuckle essence does sound fabulous in desserts. Kind of like jasmine... but with a twist! Wed Feb 11 20:46:35 -0800 2004 1629846 0 chococat