The Philippine Online Chronicles

A few years ago, “cold tea” didn’t sound very appealing. It sounded like hot tea that was left on a table to cool but was eventually forgotten. Not only is that picture unappetizing, it is quite sad. “Hot tea” was no different. It sounded like a drink for the old, the sick, and the tired. Tea was a beverage for the aged.

Fast forward to 2011. Say “cold tea” and you’ll get a lot of recommendations on where the best tea place in the city is. The surprising thing is it’s not only the oldies doing the recommending. It’s the younger group – high school students, the college crowd. Tea has found its fountain of youth.

Popular tea shop names today are Serenitea, Bubble Tea, Chatime and Happy Lemon. There’s also Cha Dao Tea Place,Tea Delite, Moonleaf, ‘Wich Kraft, and many more. All of these shops carry milk tea as their primary offering. Each shop presents a wide range of freshly brewed teas that each customer can personalize. Different sugar levels can be requested. Each customer can choose which sinkers to go with her tea. The level of ice can be dictated. You can choose to have ice crushed or cubed. Each tea shop brand has its own following, never mind if the products offered are mostly the same.

I have my own tea-ories (please indulge me) on this whole tea craze. Yes, they remain theories, not facts, as they have not been proven by any formal research.  After visiting tea shops and downing many varieties of delicious milk teas, this is one tea fanatic’s take on how a drink that was once labelled “for the old” has captured the hearts and palates of the young.

Tea-ory #1: Sago, so good!

Milk tea has been around for awhile. Fast food chain Chowking has its Nai Cha. Asian-themed restaurants such as Pho Hoa and Banana Leaf, and Chinese restaurants offer milk tea on their menu. None of them however, offer milk tea with pearls a.k.a. sago.

Yummy milk tea, but where are my pearls?

Pinoys love sago. Sago’s chewiness, if cooked correctly, is its unique benefit. It’s not too heavy on the stomach, nor is it too light not to make a drink or dessert lacking in texture. This pearl is the jewel of street food eating. We enjoy it in the traditional drink of melted arnibal and crushed ice. On a hot summer day, this drink is very refreshing and the sago makes it more filling. There’s taho, which won’t be complete without the little brown pearls. Sago can also be served with a chilled mango puree as dessert. Sago can also be mixed into fruit salads to add texture and color. Have you tried it in buco-pandan salad? Delicious.

All commercial tea shops offer sago as one of its sinkers. Sinkers are solid “toppings” (only they sink to the bottom, hence the name) that go with one’s tea drink. Other sinkers are jellies (grass, coconut), red beans, aloe vera and puddings. Sago seems to be the bestseller though as it is usually the first to go out of stock when the day’s coming to a close.

Maybe Pinoys have found a new way to enjoy sago. Maybe it’s not the tea they’re after. I’ve tried different kinds of milk teas of various sugar and ice levels. The only constant: sago. Give me an Assam milk tea. Give me Winter melon. But please, please, let me have it with sago.

Tea-ory #2: Tea is good for you!

Tea is healthy. Tea has a high level of flavonoids a.k.a. antioxidants. Antioxidants are good for the heart, for anti-aging and for disease-fighting. Tea, is therefore, a guilt-free drink.

That is if it’s not loaded with sugar, sinkers and full cream or condensed milk. Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped some drinkers from citing health as the one of the main reasons why they’re part of the tea craze.

“It’s tea. It’s healthy. Just don’t put so much sugar.” – Joseph, 36 years old, artist

“I don’t feel guilty when I drink tea.” – Lara, 26 years old, account manager

“It’s delicious and not fattening!” – Princess, 16 years old, college student

Tea is also seen as a healthier alternative to coffee.

“Tea has caffeine like coffee, but it also has theanine. It’s what makes tea soothing.” – Frances, 32 years old, account director

“I like that tea wakes you up gradually, but it doesn’t give you a crash life coffee does. That’s why I think it’s healthier.” – Grace, 34 years old, writer

Euromonitor reports that tea consumption in 2010 was still low in the Philippines. We’re still primarily a coffee-drinking country. Nonetheless, as more Filipinos are adopting a healthier lifestyle, commercial tea brands such as Lipton could leverage on this wellness trend and communicate their brands’ health benefits, e.g. relieving sickness, boosting immunity, etc.   I have a feeling though that while brands from big companies will ride on the tea craze, it’s the tea shops consumers will go back to again and again. Tea is great for health, but tea shops provide something that a milk tea in a sachet doesn’t – see the next tea-ories.

Tea-ory #3: Tea shops as new hangouts

Eating and drinking is a social event for Pinoys. Where a Sky Flakes pack is present, two or three are gathered in its midst. I kid you not. That applies to a pack of chips, a fish ball stand and more recently, tall servings of milk tea. Some tea shops offer a cozy and intimate ambience, perfect for enjoying a steaming cup of hot tea or a big glass of ice cold milk tea. Others are stark white in color, yet offer plush seating that’s perfect for relaxing.

“I like Chatime Pioneer because they have free Wi-Fi, it’s not noisy and I can do my homework.” – Jan, college student, student

“I’m at Moonleaf (E. Abada) so much they remember my name.” -- Mary, 20 years old, college student

Happy Lemon at Promenade, Greenhills is almost always filled with the young crowd from schools ICA and Xavier. Serenitea in Eastwood looks like it caters to yuppies working in the area. Not all tea shops provide seating, such as Chatime in Landmark, but crowds composed of singles or groups continue to flock to them anyway.

“Dati it was ‘Let’s meet for coffee’, now my friends and I say, ‘Let’s meet for tea.” – Kay, 32 years old, writer

Some tea shops also offer food. Serenitea is famous for their Pepper Potatoes and Chicken Chops. Chatime has sumptuous Taiwanese spicy squid balls and curry sausages.  You know how food draws Pinoys together! All the more reason to hang out at tea shops.

Tea-ory #4: Tea for ME!

Personalization is also one reason why tea must be such a craze. Coffee shops introduced us to making coffee our own – one tall, non-fat, cappuccino with hazelnut syrup, less foam please. Frozen yogurts, the most recent food trend, also offered that with its many toppings and flavours. Tea shops take it another level though – you choose from different freshly brewed teas, choose your ice level (less ice, regular ice, lots of ice), sugar (no sugar, less sugar, regular, lots of sugar), and your sinkers. You can mix and match each time you visit a tea shop until you find the perfect combination for you.

Each tea shop has its own bestseller. You’re bound to have your own favourite per tea shop too. For example, Serenitea’s Royal Milk Tea is my favourite. At Cha Dao, it’s their Cha Yen. Happy Lemon’s Malt Pearl Milk Tea is delicious. At Chatime, I feel that nothing beats their Brown Rice Green Milk Tea and their Roasted Milk Tea.

If you’re the only one in your group who likes tea but wants to haul the rest of your friends to the tea shop, they can choose from yogurt juices and even coffee. Tea shops are for everyone, even those who are shy about tea!

Tea-ory #5: Social networking and the relationships they build

Facebook and Twitter have made brands less distant for its consumers. The local tea shops have their own Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. Most even reply immediately to their contacts’ queries. With this way of keeping customers engaged, you’re bound to build a loyal fan base. Thanks to social networking, a bond is built between tea shop and tea drinker!

It was my first time at Cha Dao tea place last week. I had a wonderful drink and tweeted about it.

My tweet (macaronigirl): “New milk tea shop fave: Cha Dao! Tried their Assam milk tea w pearls and lite sugar. Sarrrrap. I want one more but katakawan na yon.”

Guess what? I got a reply from Cha Dao shortly after. I didn’t know Cha Dao had a Twitter account. I guess they track keywords.

ChaDaoTeaPlace: “@macaronigirl Thanks for dropping by! Glad to hear you liked the assam! It's one of our best sellers... Assam is awesome :)”

I was pleased with the attention I got! Since I wanted to try their other teas, I immediately asked them for their thoughts.

My tweet: “@ChaDaoTeaPlace What else do you reco? I like my teas strong. Definitely returning!”

ChaDaoTeaPlace: “@macaronigirl Have you tried the Cha Yen? You can definitely taste the tea with that! It's one of our best sellers! J”

With a little Tweet exchange, Cha Dao just went a few levels up in my tea shop preference scale.

Totally addicted to tea

Tea is now no longer for the old, the sick and the tired. You say tea and other images come up: the high school student finishing her homework after classes at a tea shop near her school, college students looking for a refreshing break at the tea shop across their university, yuppies aching to get a dose of a picker-upper without the coffee crash. Who would’ve thought the typical coffee-drinking Pinoy would begin a love affair with tea? All it needed was a little change in image, a dash of personalization and yes, lots of sago.

Photo: “Serenitea!” by Christa Uymatiao, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved. Photo: “Pearl Milk Tea @ Chatime” by louis, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved. Photo: “Iced Milk Tea” by Chariss Concepcion, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved. Photo: “Happy Lemon 珍珠奶茶” by Simon Q, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.

Toni Tiu is a milk tea addict, When craving for milk tea with pearls but unable to leave the house, she creates her own at home. Visit her personal blog at Wifelysteps.com.