Posh Nosh: Tea from Lupicia Singapore

I love the smell and taste of coffee, but not the effect it has on me. For years, I have struggled with sleepless nights when I have a cappuccino in the morning.

Coffee in other things – pork ribs, ice cream, chocolate and cookies – do not keep me up so much. So Verkade Cafe Noir, crisp biscuits covered with a coffee cream, are perfect. I get a little coffee fix without suffering the consequences.

Of course, this would taste great with a cup of real coffee, but cold soya milk will have to do for me.

Verkade Cafe Noir, $6.41 for a 200g pack, from German Market Place, 609 Bukit Timah Road, tel: 6466-4044, open: 10am to 7pm (Monday to Friday), 9am to 5.30pm (Saturday), closed on Sunday and public holiday

Lupicia, a Japanese tea brand, has opened a new store in VivoCity, adding to its first one at Great World City.

And now is a good time to visit because sakura- flavoured teas are in stock to mark the start of spring.

This year, what captures my fancy is Sakura & Berry ($19 for a 50g tin of loose leaf tea, right).

The black tea is aromatic with strawberry and rose petals, with salted sakura leaves to stop it from being twee. It is very refreshing iced and lightly sweetened.

I also grab some matcha au lait powder ($8 for a pack of three sachets). These are available in four flavours (above right): Strawberry, Kinako, Plain and Caramel. Add 150ml of milk to one sachet of powder, microwave for 90 seconds, stir and drink.

The Kinako version is the best of the four in my opinion, as the roasted soya bean powder adds a nutty flavour that I cannot get enough of.

To my surprise, the Strawberry one is good too, the berry flavour combining well with the powdered green tea.

Alas, the Caramel one is a little insipid. I am looking for notes of caramelised sugar, but it is not evident. The only consolation is that it is less sweet than the Plain version.

Tea from Lupicia Singapore, K1-19 VivoCity, tel: 6221-4336; and B1-12 Great World City, tel: 6737-0334, open: 10am to 10pm daily for both shops

hsueh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 30, 2015.
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