Frutefull Dried Whole Cranberries

889 days ago

Well, took my last few dollars and bought this! But not to worry, I got my paycheck and I will soon have some money to buy stuff to review. Kind of...

Well, took my last few dollars and bought this! But not to worry, I got my paycheck and I will soon have some money to buy stuff to review. Kind of sad when you know that you don’t have money even to buy some decent food eh? I guess that is one of the major problems in Singapore – prices of everything is going up while the salaries seemed to be depressed all the time. And of course, if you don’t have enough money to eat right, you get sick and you will then be in further trouble. Why? Because the cost of healthcare in Singapore is ridiculously high as well. What? You expect only foodstuff in Singapore to be expensive and doctor fees to be cheap? No way right? One of my friends told me that getting sick in Singapore is like pouring money into the drain. I tend to agree. So, what better way not to pay doctors’ fees then to eat right. Everyone knows that you are what you eat, so if you eat healthy stuff, you will be healthy.

So, I bought this Frutefull dried whole cranberries. Dried fruits provide a good amount of fiber, necessary to help your body clear away waste. And clearing away waste from the bowels is your body’s primary source of detoxifying. Getting rid of toxins through your skin and whatever is good but nothing beats clearing them through your bowels. And fiber helps you do exactly that. Furthermore, dried fruits are a good source of antioxidants. They help your body fight off damaging free radicals. Yes, those stuff can cause cancer and other diseases and you do need additional antioxidants to fight them off.

Here you have the Frutefull dried whole cranberries. What I never realized is that dried whole cranberries are so small in size. They are about the same size as normal raisins. Even those jumbo golden raisins are bigger!  Perhaps it is because of the water content of the cranberries?

Yes, natural. No preservatives. That is important. We are already consuming too much preservatives in our diets and definitely don’t want preservatives in our dried fruits as well. And it is kind of silly to add preservatives to dried fruits right?

And this is just a miserable 120g of dried cranberries.

Ahhh…the back of the plastic pack. Can’t see? Well, no problems, I have taken the liberty of taking more detailed photos.

The ingredients are cranberries, sugar and sunflower oil. The main problem with dried cranberries is that they taste so tart, it is nearly impossible to consume it without any sweetener. That is why sugar is always added. I wonder why don’t they add honey instead? It is actually a much better choice of a sweetener than just plain old processed sugar.

Oh, Frutefull’s Dried Whole Cranberries are made with the freshest, all natural whole fruit. Sweet blended with the cranberry’s distinct tart and tangy flavour, it’s the delightful and healthier choice! Contains no Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) and is complaint with US Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Store in cool & dry place away from sunlight. Yes, you should always store your dried stuff away from direct sunlight.

Some more nutritional information for all you health freaks. It is surprising that cranberries do have a good amount of calcium!

Here you have the little whole cranberries. They do look tiny don’t they. I had thought that cranberries were big berries, somthing the size of a peach or something. But I was wrong. It should be approximately the size of a strawberry. Well, that is another problem of living in Singapore, you hardly see any of such fresh berries in our local supermarkets.

Yes, we have come to the end of our little review. Please remember to add a little more fiber into your diet everyday.

Dolphin Brand Ikan Garing

890 days ago

It is not surprisingly that we get this kind of brands in Singapore. What is more difficult than choosing an mammal as your brandname? Just make a list of animals and...

It is not surprisingly that we get this kind of brands in Singapore. What is more difficult than choosing an mammal as your brandname? Just make a list of animals and try out which isn’t taken and you have a winner. I guess in South East Asia, a lot of our businesses lack is brand awareness. Do you remember what is the brand of cuttlefish you have just taken? Very likely, it would be no. If companies and businesses  were to take at least some effort to just to think of a more memorable brandname, it could work in our favour. However, companies in South East don’t seem that interested in brands, which is kind of sad. Kind of like those companies in China which I can hardly remember. I am sure most of us remember the White Rabbit Candy – it was quite a huge favourite among Singaporeans and recently, it was hit with the Melaminemilk scandal. Anyway, do you know who manufactures this White Rabbit Candy? No? Well, I am not surprised. Although the candy itself is hugely popularly, nobody knows who manufactures it.

Here we have the Dolphin brand Ikan Garing. I guess Ikan Garing means fish snack?

The ingredients are Fish meat, salt, sugar, chilli, starch, monosodium glutamate and flavouring. I am wondering what kind of fish meat are they using? The snack is actually quite delicious and although it is very crispy, after chewing it, it becomes rather “meaty” in a sense. And yet, the spiciness is very subtle, unlike some other fish snacks I have taken before. Some of which are just so damn spicy that it will burn your tongue. I don’t like those. And the extreme spiciness can easily mask off the poor quality of the fish meat, so beware of eating such snacks. This is manufactured in Malaysia.

Small tiny piece of cripsy fish snack. Very very small. Hardly enough to fill the entire mouth. But since it is very meaty, it can actually be very filling. Eat a few of these with some water and you will find yourself bloated. Of course, I am not encouraging you to eat this to combat your hunger. You should always eat snacks in moderation.

First Choice Chocolate Wafer Sticks

890 days ago

Well, being broke has its plus points – I am now forced to go around my house looking for stuff to eat. And I did find some very interesting stuff laying...

Well, being broke has its plus points – I am now forced to go around my house looking for stuff to eat. And I did find some very interesting stuff laying around the house.  No, they might not be healthy but some of them are very delicious, just like this First Choice Chocolate Wafer Sticks. You know, those sticks which are very popular during the Chinese New Year? But this one does taste much nicer than the ones I had previously. First of all, the chocolate in the wafer sticks is real chocolate. Unlike the ones which are just sugar and a little chocolate in them. And the chocolate in the wafer stick is thick! I am just surprised that the chocolate layers is so thick and creamy. It seems to me that First Choice products do have some quality behind them. Kudos to the housebrand of Cold Storage and Shop N Save. If you have been going to our local supermarkets, you would have realize that the quality of the foodstuff we have in Singapore is getting from bad to worse, but First Choice products do buck the trend. I really hope that this will continue. However I am not naive to believe that making as much money as possible is not the agenda of First Choice, but credit must be given when credit is due.

I like the design of this tin can. Simple yet elegant.

There, the chocolate wafer sticks for you to enjoy. 350g of wafer sticks is plenty for your entire family to have a bite as well. So don’t be selfish, share it. Just like what my family is doing now – they are sharing their wafer sticks to me. I am of course, sharing my hunger and thirst. Hey, it is Halal certified! Muslims can consume this without any problems. And check out the Big chocolate piece at the top! Doesn’t that makes you even more hungry?

We have the ingredients list – Sugar, wheat flour, palm oil, cocoa powder, tapioca, milk,rice flour,dairy creamer (whey, vegetable oil, natural flavour, soy lecithin), whey, caramel colour, salt, dextrin, soy lecithin, vanilla flavourings and egg powder. Of course this isn’t exactly healthy foodstuff. It is a highly processed food. So remember, avoid eating too much of it. I know that quite a lot of people (including me) cannot stop ourselves once we start eating. Well….what can I say except to be a little more disciplined.

Oh, this product has been made in a factory which uses nut ingredients. Contains eggs, dairy milk, soya, wheat, gluten. May contain traces of nut or sesame seed. So I guess if you have problems with these kinds of food, you should avoid eating the chocolate wafer sticks. Send them to me.

And why does my finger look fat in the above picture?

At the very least, they have the common sense to know that tin cans are not that good at keeping out air and moisture. They pack their sticks in a plastic pack to preserve to quality and freshness of the wafer sticks. A lot of other manufacturers don’t seem to understand this problem and sometimes when you purchase a can of biscuit or wafer sticks like this, you find them already stale and soft.

Ahhh……the chocolate wafer stick. Very delicious and comes with a thick layer of heavenly creamy chocolate. I have not eaten such a great tasting wafer for a long long time already. Just remember, this is not a healthy product and should not be eaten excessively. A few sticks as a stick, I believe is okay.

Nutrisoy Fresh Soya Milk With Almond

892 days ago

First of all, I am NOT an advocate of people drinking Soya Milk. I am unconvinced of its supposed health benefits and when compared to cow’s milk, it is even less...

First of all, I am NOT an advocate of people drinking Soya Milk. I am unconvinced of its supposed health benefits and when compared to cow’s milk, it is even less attractive. Furthermore, I am very worried about toxins in Soya Milk would could potentially be very harmful to our health. If you would like to read more about the dangers of Soya Milk, please refer to this link. And no, I am not paid by the cow milk industry or by anyone else for that matter to make this comment. It is also interesting to note that the cow milk industry is very much related to the Soya Milk industry. The Soy companies are the ones providing the Soy feed to the commercial cow farmers. Yes, the commercial farmers feed their cows with Soy, not grass like what you see on TV. Although you might think that they are competitors as Soya Milk is presented as an healthy alternative to cow milk, they are actually not. If you look at most of the major brands selling cow milk in Singapore, most likely they are selling Soya Milk as well. I am surprised to realize that a lot of Singaporeans are naive enough to believe that the Soy Industry and the Cow Milk Industry are not related in any way.

However, if you still like Soy and are convinced by flashy “Soya Milk is Healthy” advertisements and other crap like that(like most Singaporeans), I would like to introduce to you this new Soya Milk from Nutrisoy – Fresh Soya Milk With Almond. Basically I believe it is just their low sugar Soya Milk with some splashes of Almond milk. Do note that I did not buy this, my parents are the ones would bought it. I stop consciously buying and consuming Soy products a few months ago already.  I really hope that you readers will limit your consumption of Soy products as well.

The poision Soya Milk with Almond in a carton.

Woooohoooo! Cholesterol Free! Reduced Sugar! Healthy! I guess that is why Soya Milk is gaining popularity in Singapore and worldwide. But I don’t believe one bit that Soya Milk is healthy. It is good that people are starting to realize this. So please try reading on the Internet about the dangers of Soy and Soy products.

Cool! It contains Magnesium and Vitamin E! And you get the Health Promotion Board’s Healthier Choice sticker thingy! Well, they have managed to convinced millions of people around the world that Soya Milk is healthy, so I guess it is not difficult to convince a few bureaucrats that their Soya Milk is indeed a Healthier Choice.

If you can’t read from the blurred photo, I do apologize. I will copy the entire statement for you here: F&N Nutrisoy Reduced Sugar Fresh Soya Almond Milk is enriched with calcium and is a source of protein. In fact, US FDA recommends a daily intake of 25g of soya protein in a diet low in saturated dat and cholesterol. This authentic tasting soya almond milk is made from real almonds, giving you the delicious creamy taste. F&N Nutrisoy Reduced Sugar Fresh Soya Almond Milk also has the added goodness of antioxidant Vitamin E to help protect cells in the body, and Magnesium to help with the adsorption and retention of Calcium. Hmmm….I would very much like to read this recommendation from the US FDA. If this is indeed true, we should all be carefully about such recommendations. Anyway, there is no danger in the Soya protein if it has not been damaged by heating or by any processing. The major problem comes in the other chemicals and toxins in Soy.

Made from the highest grade of non-genetically modified Soya beans, using no preservatives or colourings, you can trust the natural goodness of F&N Nutrisoy. Start making F&N Nutrisoy part of your healthier lifestyle today! In my opinion, you should not. Even with the highest grade of non-genetically modified soya beans in the world, soy products can be dangerous to your health. Why take the risk when they are better alternatives to Soya Milk out there?

Here are some more nutritional information for you. The nutritional highlights of this drink is tha it contains Vitamin E and magnesium, it is cholesterol free, high in calcium, contains 8 essential amino acids, it is a source of protein, it is lactose free and contains 25% less sugar. All very cool! I nearly went and drank the entire carton after reading this. Luckily, my good sense tells me otherwise.

Anyway, they also have nutrition tips for you! Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect cells in the body. Magnesium helps in the absorption and retention of calcium. Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth. Lactose free content eases digestion for those who are lactose intolerant. Well, all very good “tips” but somehow unrelated to the product in question, right? The ingredients are non-genetically modified soya beans, sucrose, almond powder, maltodextrin, calcium carbonate, trimagnesium phosphate, flavouring, sodum chloride, stabilizer and Vitamin E.

But don’t do it! Resist the temptation to go buy Soya Milk! Go buy some fresh cow milk (pasteurised ones! Not those ultra-pasteurised ones) instead. They look and sound good, but in my opinion, cow’s milk is better for you than Soya Milk.

I Am Officially Broke

894 days ago

Yes, I am now officially broke. And I have 5 days to go before the end of the month when I receive my paycheck! I wonder how am I going to...

Yes, I am now officially broke. And I have 5 days to go before the end of the month when I receive my paycheck! I wonder how am I going to survive these 5 days without any money. The truth is, I normally don’t spend beyond my means, but sometimes it is inevitable. I got injured and need to see my doctor and TCM practitioner to get it fixed properly. That cost money. Then I spent quite a sum on my website as it really needs some work to be done – it was getting a bit too outdated to be a real website. Of course, I might spend a little more on food because I am a bit worried about my health. I bought several raw honey, good quality milk for my Kefir, yogurt, apple cider vinegar and some fish oil. In my opinion, those shouldn’t be very expensive but they are in Singapore. And all of a sudden, I am completely broke! Just checked my bank balance and I am not kidding. About S$40 left in my bank. Worst of all, I think my bank might even fine me for having so little money in the account!

It is kind of sad to have this sense that you are broke and helpless and you can’t do anything about it. Anyway, I should try to be more prudent the next time. However, sometimes it is just very difficult to do so, especially with so much obligations. The money I spent on my website is essential for my work. Without my website is proper order and completely updated, I will not be able to be effective in my work. I injured my ankle. Again, this can’t be helped. It is not like I injured my ankle on purpose or that I enjoy injuring myself. And as for the food, I guess unless I am planning to pay a lot more for my medicial bills, consuming healthy food is a must. In fact, I believe in the long run, I am saving money – tons of money in fact! Eating right now is the best way to fight off diseases. I would highly recommend everyone to start watching their diet and start eating right. Just imagine the cost of those by-pass surgeries and heart transplants we see on TV everyday.

Yes, I know – the cost of food in Singapore is sky-high and the quality of food is bad. But if you look hard enough, you can still find high quality foodstuff in Singapore. And the truth is, even if you can’t find good quality foodstuff, you can still find some decent quality food in our shops and stores. Furthermore, there are many healthy alternatives – like fresh vegetables and fruits (not that Singapore’s fresh vegetables and fruits are the best quality mind you). You should go for those that are minimally processed. Remember, highly processed foods are usually stripped off their nutrients and vitamins. And you will be surprised to find that not all are expensive. And in all seriousness, I believe that cut down on spending on others, except food. I like the phrase – “We are who we eat”. And if we eat rubbish, well….we become rubbish. Health is in our hands, and eating right is the best way to health.

Anyway, enough of my whinning. At the very least, I have some packs of nuts remaining in my office cupboard. They should come in quite handy now.

Twisted My Ankle

896 days ago

Poor old me, got my ankle twisted badly a few days ago.  Not surprisingly, as I have constantly twisted my ankle since I was young. Yes, during those times, I was...

Poor old me, got my ankle twisted badly a few days ago.  Not surprisingly, as I have constantly twisted my ankle since I was young. Yes, during those times, I was quite active. I did sports like Basketball, Swimming, Taekwondo and even cross country running. Ahhh…..those were definitely the times! Now, I basically sit at home and blog.  But of course being active has its own share of problems – like getting injured. One of the main reasons I quit sports is my ankle. I once injured my ankle constantly for about a year. My doctors told me to give my ankle a “break” or I might face problems when I grow older. So I quit the sports in my school and joined the Chess Club. And that is my life. I once was someone very very active, now I am someone very very dead.

Anyway, I twisted my ankle when I was chasing my nephew. I missed a step and my feet landed on the wrong side, causing my ankle to get  twisted badly. Although it has been a while since I got injured, I can feel that my ankle isn’t that strong anymore. But getting injured at my age is no joke. I am very shocked to see that most people don’t even bother going to the doctor for examinations to check when they get injured. They think that a few rubs here and there will heal everything. The problem is we are not medicial trained and we have no idea what is happening underneath our skin. If the bone is not set right, it might not heal right. And sure when we are young, nothing seem to get us down. But once you grow older, you might find that problems will creep up on you. So my advise is to go see a doctor. In Singapore, we have those Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, and their specialty is to heal and set injuries. It is my opinion that if you twisted your ankle, knee or some part of your body, you should go see the TCM instead of western doctors. However, if you were to fracture your bone, you should see western doctors with more modern technology (like X-ray) to set your body right. Then after the bone is properly set, you should visit the TCM and get the doctor there to give you some more therapy and make sure all the bones, muscles and ligament are properly and completely healed. It is better to spend some time with your doctor now rather than a lifetime of pains and aches in the near future.

I went to my brother’s area and there is this very good TCM Practitioner. In less than 30 minutes, he managed to relief most of my ankle pain. Of course, I don’t expect miracles from anyone, but I think he did a good job. I am not limping that badly now. And all it takes was 30 minutes of my time (and 1 hour of waiting). But do note that for more serious injuries, it would require more than just one visit to the doctor. In fact, he encouraged me to come back for another consultation even if my ankle feel fine.

I am no fan of doctors or the current medical profession in general. But my problem with the medical profession is with the curing of diseases and not with injuries. No amount of good nutrition is going to help you when you dislocate your shoulder. Only your doctor who is trained can help you there. I think TCM offers Singaporeans a very good alternative as well. A lot of Western countries do not have this alternative and they are stuck with “Western” styled medicines.

First Choice California Natural Raisins

897 days ago

Boring? Definitely! Tasty? Hell yes! I mean in Singapore, dried raisins are a common sight. When we browse our local convenience stores and supermarkets, we are bound to see those little...

Boring? Definitely! Tasty? Hell yes! I mean in Singapore, dried raisins are a common sight. When we browse our local convenience stores and supermarkets, we are bound to see those little red packets of dried raisins. But now they have a direct competitor. Not only do they produce dried raisins, they are packaging the raisins exactly the same way – in small convenient packets. Actually, I think small little packets make more sense. It is convenient to carry around and you are not forced to finish a huge bunch of dried fruits.Of course, they might a be a price increase when you compare small packets and big bags of the same dried fruits equal in weight. As I mentioned countless of times, this is business and we only seek to live in it.

Anyway, I bought this set of 6 packs from Shop N Save. You can only find First Choice brands at either Shop N Save or Cold Storage as it is the housebrand. I am quite impressed with the quality of their housebrand actually. Much better than the housebrand of NTUC. Yes, it might not be cheapest but at the very least, it is not the most expensive. Do note that this product is made in the United States. Most American products in Singapore comes with a very heavy price-tag.

The pack of 6 First Choice California Natural Raisins. Yummy!

Yes, it seems that they have packed one of the packets wrongly? No, I believe that they did in on purpose. You can check out the ingredients and the nutrition information easily without opening the wrapping. It is very important for any consumer to look for the ingredients when purchasing foodstuff. Unfortunately most Singaporeans don’t even bother at all.

Hmmmm……raisins! How do they get from nice looking green grapes to disgusting purplish raisins? I have absolutely no idea.

The net weight is 42.5g. The raisins are naturally cholesterol-free.

Check it out, the ingredient is just California raisins! And take a moment to check out the nutrition information. This is as accurate as it gets because there are no other ingredient in this product other than the raisins. As mentioned, this is a product of the United States. And packed in Malaysia. How about Singapore? Please pack your stuff in Singapore as we need jobs.

As with all dried foods, store in a cool, dry place and keep away from direct sunlight.

Ahhh….there you have it – the raisins themselves. Not actually very attractive to most but delicious nevertheless. I started eating dried fruits when I realize that these fruits actually contain more antioxidants than their fresh counterparts (depending on how they are processed). And I seriously lack fiber in my diet. The fruits I eat are mostly from juice. The dried raisins would definitely help add quite a good amount of fiber. And fiber, as you guys know is very important for our bodies.

I don’t know why I opened the packet from the bottom though.

Pokka Fuji Apple Sparkling Juice Drink

897 days ago

Well, finally we got something new in the market – it is the Pokka Fuji Apple Sparkling Juice Drink, available in most local supermarkets. But it still seems to me that...

Well, finally we got something new in the market – it is the Pokka Fuji Apple Sparkling Juice Drink, available in most local supermarkets. But it still seems to me that our local supermarkets don’t have much new varieties coming in. Everyday we see the same old boring stuff on the shelves. Perhaps it is because these supermarkets are meant for necessities and not for new products or even for anyone a little more adventurous like myself. Anyway, it is good. If not, those supermarkets will have the easy excuse to raise prices of foodstuff and necessities. Like the prices of goods in Singapore isn’t high enough already. That is what happens when you don’t have an open market and there lacks competition among the big supermarkets.

I always enjoy trying out new drinks. But do understand that this is not a real fruit juice. Think of it as a soda drink, nothing more. You should not drink this Pokka Fuji Apple Sparkling Juice Drink and believe it to be a substitute for fresh fruits. It is not even a substitute for fresh fruit juice. It is a sugar-filled carbonated drink meant for your enjoyment. However, I have to admit, it does taste much better than the other Apple Juice Drink I have tried. Not too sweet and the apple flavour profile is just right. However, the Fuji Apple taste is a bit lacking though. I had expected this drink to have this awesome Fuji Apple aroma when I open the can, but I was disappointed. Too bad. But still this does taste better than that China Brand Sparkling Apple Drink.

The can of the Pokka Fuji Apple Sparkling Apple Juice Drink. Tedious name. But as with most Japanese inspired packaging, this can is appealing. Will definitely attract the younger crowd once they look up when they finish texting on their mobile phones.

Nice right? The sweetest and most delicious apples are still the Fuji Apples. Kudos to the Japanese. And hey, this drink comes with real juice! This is just amazing! Never did I ever expect an apple juice drink to come with actual apple juice.

Rich in Vitamin C. No Preservative. No artificial Colouring. But do they need artificial flavours to this drink? Of course they do.

Enjoy a refreshing moment with Pokka Fuji Apple Sparkling Juice Drink! With Vitamin C and no preservative, it is the perfect enjoyment for a cool fun time. Savour its delicious real apple juice taste today! Hmm…..I expected more flowery words than this. I guess the marketing guys at Pokka are busy with something else.

The ingredients that goes into making this delicious drink are – carbonated water, sucrose, apple juice, ascorbic acid, flavouring and natural colouring. See, told you got artificial flavouring. If they don’t add any flavouring to this drink, most consumers will never consume this again. We are just too spolit by the artificial flavourings that we expect the real thing to taste like that.

Anyway, this is made in Malaysia.  Hooray for Malaysia!

Going For Tours?

899 days ago

Are you planning to go on tour this coming holiday? I am sure that most of you are. Of course, the economy is bad, but you have been working your ass...

Are you planning to go on tour this coming holiday? I am sure that most of you are. Of course, the economy is bad, but you have been working your ass off for the past few months and all the stress has gotten into you. You will need to relax. In Singapore, we are all just so stressed out everyday with work, family, relatives and other “stuff” that taking a break is a must. Or most of us will go crazy with the huge load on our shoulders. And please, there is no harm planning early. Planning early makes everything goes “smoother”. Sure, there will always be hiccups even with the best planning, but you will find that last minute tour plans are terrible.  In fact, I would highly recommend you to start planning where you want to go, for how long, who is going with you and your travel plans NOW. Furthermore, everyone hates the crowd (with prams and noisy little kids) at the travel operator’s showroom during peak periods or at the NATAS Travel fair. I know I do.

First of all, you should try checking out what packages travel agencies have. Just visit the travel agencies’ offices and take a few brochures. Or visit them online to see what they are offering, even if you are not going overseas anytime soon. This way, you can get at least an idea on what you should be expecting. And you can plan from there. If you are planning to go without any tour guide (aka free and easy packages), you should also try to find out what they offer and what you need to get yourself (like transportation, food and even lodging).Those brochures can also be very helpful when you are planning which destination to go to.

If you are planning to go on a tour group, then the reputation of the tour agency is doubly important. Getting the right travel agency will ensure that your trip is enjoyable and stress free. Although I am sure that there will be things going wrong no matter what, a good travel agency will help reduce the chances and will ensure that things will be resolved faster.

Then plan your budget.Probably the hardest thing to do. Remember to leave a little more just in case. Especially for those going “free and easy”, I would highly recommend travelers to add in a little more. You will never know what will happen during the actual trip.  Going for budget is good, to a certain point. Hey, you are going on holiday to relax and enjoy yourself, not to suffer with overcrowded buses or trains or even planes, or sleep in dirty and unhygienic places, or eat crappy food. If you want to do all those, might as well stay in Singapore right? But however, not everything enjoyable is expensive. You can still find good value for money deals out there if you look hard enough. I myself got a great deal during my Hong Kong (and during the peak school holidays) trip on lodging – half price!

Next, you will figure out how long your overseas trip will be. You need to take leave for the duration, correct? Not all of us are bosses what. However, remember, if you are planning to have a long holiday, remember to add one more day for you to unwind and unpack your luggage and your tons of overseas purchases. It can really be tiring if you have return immediately to work the next day. Of course, if you are bringing your family (like your spouse) along, they might too need to take leave or make necessary arrangements. Not all of us can just leave everything and go off like nobody’s business what.

Well, after all that and if you are still interested in going for a holiday, please take a look at my list of Singapore Travel Agencies.

Honeybush Tea!!!

900 days ago

Nah, not really that exotic. This is like the Rooibos Tea (or more commonly known in Singapore as SOD tea), except that it is from the Honeybush plant. And just like...

Nah, not really that exotic. This is like the Rooibos Tea (or more commonly known in Singapore as SOD tea), except that it is from the Honeybush plant. And just like Rooibos Tea, the resulting brew is reddish, that is why it is also called red tea. And as with the Rooibos Tea, this comes from South Africa. Hmm…..looks like South Africa has tons of such nice interesting teas. Unlike the more common green tea, red tea taste sweeter and more aromatic. And furthermore, in my opinion, it taste more complex. I have seen people who dislike green tea, find that red tea is more agreeable to them. Of course, the uniquely attractive red colour of the tea is a big plus to drinkers.

However, there are difference between the Rooibos Tea and the Honeybush Tea. First of all, they come from different plants. The Rooibos Tea is made from errr……the leaves of the Rooibos plant, while Honeybush Tea is made from human hair. Na, just joking. The Honeybish Tea is made from the leaves of the Honeybush plant. Although, I agree that the taste between the tea are somewhat similar, I can easily smell the difference between the Rooibos leaves and the Honeybush leaves. Honeybush leaves have this faint flowery honey smell (probably why they are called “Honey”bush, duh!). As for subtle difference in taste, the Honeybush Tea does not have the complex aroma of the Rooibos Tea. I have only tried Honeybush Tea twice, but I still prefer the more aromatic Rooibos Tea. Some people might like the sweeter taste of the Honeybush Tea though. The female population in my office seems to like it more than green tea.

100g of Honeybush Tea leaves. Looks a bit like saw dust right? Bought this online from eBay.For light parcels, postage is cheap, even from the UK.

Another view.

Hmm…..they really look like little flakes of sawdust! But the smell is just wonderful. When I open the ziplock big to take this photo, the smell is really really strong! And yes, smells a bit like honey.

Dang, the leaves float on the surface. But not to worry, most of them will sink to the bottom soon as the leaves soak up the water. Although people call it Red Tea, in my opinion, this tea tends to be more brownish than red (the photo of the tea seems to be a bit off from the actual colour).

Another view. It does take a while for the leaves to sink to the bottom. The leaves are all flaky and light, unlike green tea which will easily sink once they are soaked. I guess the next thing, I will get myself a tea bag and dump the Honeybush leaves into the bag, saving me some trouble. I hate having to dodge leaves when I am sipping tea.

Anyway, if you are looking for a good alternative to green tea and you are worried about Caffine, then Red Tea is the best option. They have rich in antioxidants and minerals and are low in Tanins. Although it might take a little getting used to, I think that most people will find this Honeybush Tea delicious and refreshing, even as an evening drink.

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