How Many Calories in Cincau?

A classic Malaysian grass jelly drink where the jelly is basically free calories and the syrup does all the damage.

80kcal / 1 glass (plain cincau with syrup)

Plain cincau (air cincau) comes in at around 80 calories per glass. The grass jelly itself is basically free at 20 calories for 100g, so almost all the calories come from the sugar syrup. Ask for kurang manis and you drop it to around 50 calories. Get the soya version (Michael Jackson) and you are looking at 140 calories, though you do get some protein out of it.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 glass (plain cincau with syrup) (300g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	80 kcal	27 kcal
Protein	1 g	0 g
Carbs	20 g	7 g
Fat	0 g	0 g

Where the calories come from

Grass jelly (cincau)100g

20 kcal

Sugar syrup45g

55 kcal

Water and ice155g

0 kcal

The real talk

Cincau is genuinely one of the better drink options you can order at the mamak or the roadside stall. 80 calories for a full glass, and the grass jelly has practically nothing in it, around 20 calories for 100g. The jelly is basically a free food. The entire calorie count comes from 45g of sugar syrup which adds 55 calories. So if you are cutting, this is a solid choice compared to teh tarik or Milo ais which can hit 150 to 200 calories easily.

The real thing that changes the number is how heavy-handed the uncle is with the syrup. Some stalls just dump it in. Always ask for kurang manis lah, it is not a weird request and it drops you from 80 to about 50 calories. The soya cincau version (what people call Michael Jackson) replaces the water with soya milk, so you get a bit of protein out of it but also about 60 to 70 extra calories, landing around 140 total. Still not bad for a drink. The versions to avoid are anything with condensed milk drizzled over it.

Cincau variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Plain cincau (air cincau)	80 kcal	Grass jelly, sugar syrup, water and ice only
Cincau with less sugar (kurang manis)	50 kcal	Less syrup reduces calories significantly
Soya cincau (Michael Jackson)	140 kcal	Soya milk replaces water; adds protein and about 60-70 extra cal

How to eat it lighter

Ask for kurang manis every single time. You cut from 80 calories down to about 50 without touching anything else.
Stick to air cincau instead of soya cincau if you are purely watching calories. Saves you about 60 calories per glass.
Skip any version that comes with condensed milk or evaporated milk. Those can push the drink past 150 to 200 calories fast.
Order it without extra syrup drizzled on top. Some stalls do this for sweetness, it is optional.
Eat the jelly. Seriously, it is filling and basically zero calories. Do not leave it behind.

Common questions

How many calories in Cincau?

A standard glass of plain cincau with syrup is about 80 calories. The grass jelly itself contributes almost nothing (around 20 cal per 100g). The syrup is where the calories come from. Ask for kurang manis and you drop it to roughly 50 calories.

Is cincau good for weight loss?

Honestly, plain cincau is one of the better drink choices at the mamak. 80 calories for a full glass is pretty reasonable. The jelly is filling too, so it does not feel like you are drinking air. Just watch the syrup, and avoid the condensed milk version.

What is the difference between air cincau and soya cincau?

Air cincau is just grass jelly, syrup and water, around 80 calories. Soya cincau (the Michael Jackson drink) swaps the water for soya milk, which adds about 60 to 70 extra calories and some protein. It comes in at roughly 140 calories total.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

New to all this? Read how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting rice →