Bonus Drink Post

This is the promised "make up" for the delayed February tea post. About a month ago, I was strolling down the aisle of the Carrefours (French grocery store chain here in shanghai popular for imported goods), when I spotted stacks of paper cups on the shelves in the tea and coffee aisle. I went and had a closer look and noted that they were take away cups of milky tea. There were at least four different colors and types and really caught my interest. I was headed somewhere that day that prevented me from buying and carrying the cups with me, so I made a mental note to come back at a later date.

On our tea expedition last week, we stopped into Carrefours to look for some Korean sauce (which we did not find). I remembered the teas and decided that I had the time and the energy to carry the bag full of cups so I bought. I came home with four different flavors: malt, original, chocolate and taro. It was really cold a couple of days ago, so it was a perfect time to try one out.

I ripped off the protective plastic film from the cup and boiled the water. The cup comes with one telescoping straw, one powder packet and one little plastic container filled with a gel and little white jelly cubes. While I waited, I ripped the packet for the powder and poured crystals into the cup. When the water boiled, I poured it over the crystals, used the telescoping straw to stir and added the jelly and the little chunks of fun (that's what the label says). The drink was delicious, if a little to sweet- something that it is easily cured by not using the entire package. We also tried the original cup and found that it tastes like a hot milky tea (see tea of the month for last August). The hot chocolate went with MK to Guilin and the taro is still on the counter waiting to be tasted.

Overall, I give this tea a high rating. First of all, it comes in its own cup- pretty handy for traveling. Secondly, there is enough in one serving to make two cups. Thirdly it is very inexpensive- I think that I paid about 2RMB per drink, which comes in at about 50 Canadian cents, and lastly because the chunks really are fun.