Fish Scale Jelly Recipes: 7 Flavours to Master

Once you've mastered the basic fish scale jelly method, changing the accompanying ingredients transforms it into a completely different dessert. The 7 flavours below all come from years of customer practice and our recipe videos — from classics to new inventions.

The base method (shared by every flavour)

Soak 500 g of dried fish scales in coarse salt + white vinegar for 30 minutes and rinse clean. Add 3 litres of water (2 litres for a sealed pressure cooker) and simmer gently on the stove for 2–3.5 hours, keeping it above 80°C throughout (a sealed pressure cooker needs only 45–50 minutes). Strain, add each flavour's ingredients and cook another 10–15 minutes, bottle, rest the lids loosely for 30 minutes before tightening, then chill overnight on the fridge's main shelf to set. Detailed steps in How to Cook Fish Scale Jelly.

Fix the water amount before you start — never add water midway.

1. Classic pandan fish scale jelly

The most traditional version. Drop 3–5 knotted pandan leaves straight into the simmering pot for that signature Nyonya fragrance — it also further masks any fishiness. Sweeten lightly with rock sugar. The best starting point for a first attempt.

2. Roselle fish scale jelly

After straining, add 5–8 dried roselle flowers and rock sugar, then cook 10 more minutes. The finished jelly is a gorgeous ruby red with an appetising sweet-sour edge. Served chilled on a hot day, even the kids fight over it.

3. Monk fruit & winter melon sugar fish scale jelly

Half a monk fruit (crushed) plus a small handful of candied winter melon, cooked with the strained broth. Monk fruit gives a natural lingering sweetness and is traditionally considered soothing for the throat — ideal for households avoiding white sugar.

4. Red date, goji & longan fish scale jelly

6–8 red dates (pitted), 1 tablespoon of goji berries and a small handful of dried longan. A warm, nourishing combination that elders love — and it looks especially festive served during Chinese New Year.

5. Lemongrass fish scale jelly

Bruise 3–5 stalks of lemongrass and simmer them with the broth for a fresh, Thai-style aroma. A must-try for fans of Southeast Asian flavours.

6. Passion fruit fish scale jelly

Let the broth cool until just warm, then stir in fresh passion fruit pulp before bottling and chilling (high heat destroys the fruit's aroma — conveniently, this fits right into the "cool 30 minutes before tightening the lids" step). Tangy and fragrant — one of the most popular flavours with younger eaters.

7. Peach gum fish scale jelly

Soak peach gum overnight beforehand, then cook it with the strained broth for 30 minutes. A "double collagen-texture" combination with the richest mouthfeel — a favourite for beauty-minded afternoon teas.

Which flavour to pick? Quick reference

Flavour	Taste	Best for
Pandan	Fragrant, lightly sweet	Your first pot
Roselle	Sweet-sour, beautiful colour	Kids, chilled in hot weather
Monk fruit & winter melon	Lingering sweetness, not cloying	Avoiding white sugar
Red date goji longan	Warm and nourishing	Elders, Chinese New Year
Lemongrass	Fresh Southeast Asian	Thai flavour fans
Passion fruit	Rich fruit aroma	Younger eaters
Peach gum	Double springy texture	Beauty afternoon teas

Frequently asked questions

How many jars does one pot make?+

500 g of scales with 3 litres of water loses about 30–40% to evaporation during a stove simmer, leaving roughly 2 litres of broth — enough for 4–6 jars depending on size. Chill with space between jars; keeps 2–4 weeks refrigerated.

Can every flavour use the same fish scales?+

Yes. Every flavour is built on the same dried fish scales — ocharves deep-sea dried fish scales are JAKIM Halal certified, MeSTI certified and lab-tested, 100% guaranteed to set. If you cook often, the 1 kg pack is the better value.

Any advice on sweeteners?+

Rock sugar suits everything; to avoid refined sugar use monk fruit or candied winter melon; honey doesn't tolerate high heat, so stir it in only after the broth has cooled.

Will added ingredients stop it from setting?+

No — as long as you add no extra water. Dried flowers, dried fruit and spices can go straight into the strained broth. If a batch fails to set, the cause is almost always too much water, too little heat or too little time — see the troubleshooting checklist in How to Cook Fish Scale Jelly.

For more recipe ideas, follow ocharves on Facebook and TikTok — we post new fish scale jelly videos almost every week.