Turn the deflated toasting bubbly into a refreshing dessert....Gelée de Champagne Lychee

No matter how much you imbibe on New Year’s Eve, chances are you’ll have some already-opened bubbly still left over on the morning, or the week after.


While mimosas, bellinis and other champagne cocktails are always an option on New Year’s Day, a more healthier method can utilise the corked bubbly in creative home cooking. Here I combine one of my favourite tropical fruits to create this refreshing yet simple dessert....

*This recipe can be made into a vegetarian/vegan version with Konnayaku powder or Agar replacing gelatin.

~ Gelée de Champagne Lychee ~


1 tb gelatin = 2 cups liquid *This recipe can be made into a vegetarian/vegan version with Konnayaku powder or Agar
1 Can of Lychee in light syrup
Leftover Champagne
Sugar to taste

1. Combine the leftover champagne with the light syrup from the canned lychee, and measure out the amount of gelatin required for the corresponding volume of liquid.
2. Place the liquid in a saucepan, and sprinkle the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to bloom in the liquid at room temperature for 20 mintues.
3. Heat the champagne mixture with gelatin over medium heat. Constantly stir until all the gelatin is dissolved.
4. Stir and dissolve sugar to your taste. Remove from heat.
5. Place 2 lychee in each champagne glass, and gently pour the champagne mixture into each glass to avoid bubbles.
6. Allow it to cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 4 hours or until the jello sets.

Bon Appetit!

en amour avec la Science....Mass Spectrometry Unlocks the Secrets behind Champagne's Effervescence!

Scientists in Reims, France recently unlocked the organoleptic nature of Champagne's fizz, the sensory explosion these delicate bubbles envelope, 5 litres of them that dance away from a single 0.75 litre bottle of Champagne.

It takes a scientist with an obsession in bubbles to discover that, they do not just win with their abundance, but it is their wittiness that gives them the edge. Though both components of Champagne, the golden fluid and the bubble display similar diversity of molecules (polyphenolics, amino acids, peptides, and fatty acids), the bubbles with their intelligence, secretly compartmentalise those with greater impact in aroma. This phenomenon allows the bubbles to carry 30 times more flavour-enhancing chemicals than in the rest of the drink, molecules such as fatty acids molecules that display the yeasty and toasty character, and as compounds from the fatty acids biosynthesis pathway of Vitis Vinifera.


We often speak of the significance in scientific research. Some see this discovery as the opportunity to perfect sparkling beverages (though the vigneron of Champagne might not agree on the necessity), but to me, there is nothing more extraordinary than unraveling the world's wonders.

For those whom are interested in reading the journal article, this is the sitation:
Liger-Belair et al. PNAS 106:16545-16549