Basil Seed Drink (Nuoc Hot E)

This is a very impressive looking, yet extremely easy to make beverage. The first time I ever drank a basil seed drink was near the entrance of the Saigon Plaza on one of my trips to Chinatown, Los Angeles. The drink simply looked refreshing to me, and the little basil seeds made me think of tapioca pearl drinks called "Boba" that I really enjoy.

However, at the time, I had no idea that I was drinking a drink made of basil seeds up until last week, when my boyfriend, Travis, (whom is Vietnamese) talked to me about a drink that was made from basil seeds. When the basil seeds make contact with liquid, they make a gelatinous barrier around themselves. I was intrigued and Travis told me he would make it for me sometime at my house so my family could try it. He said, "They look like frog's eyes and taste like whatever you flavor the water!" Me being the foodie that I am went to go research this basil seed drink online and that's when I found out that what I had at the Saigon Plaza was a basil seed drink also popular in Thailand. So the day finally came and my boyfriend taught me how to make this delicious and easy to make basil seed drink. We decided to make a pictorial to share this with other fellow foodies :)

Ingredients:
-1 pitcher full of water (about 9 cups water)
-1/2 cup white cane sugar
-1/4 cup honey
-1 oz. or 1 Tablespoon or about 30 grams basil seeds (Sometimes misspelled "Basel seeds", you can use more or less depending on how thick you want your drink)
-1 teaspoon extract (Optional, it's your choice, we used vanilla but you can also use banana, pandan, or peppermint; it's a matter of personal taste)

Directions:
(1) Put room temperature water into a pitcher, stir in sugar, honey, extract and finally stir in the basil seeds until everything is well incorporated. Let it rest for about 15- 20 minutes. The fun part is seeing the seeds react to the water. It's a very entertaining drink to make with children when they get to see the seeds puff up. Cool in the fridge before serving.

P.S.
I'll be posting his mother's salad dressing recipe sometime soon as well. Next time he'll teach me how to make Boba so expect a post for that in the near future :D

Edited by: Travis Thi