A disconcerting tea sparkling wine
After betting on original and top-of-the-range kombuchas, Lao producers, based in Quebec, are branching out towards alcohol-free sparkling wine, with a subtle and surprising proposal called Bulles de thé. On the program: an effervescent and festive drink featuring an infusion of Japanese green tea and culture of kombucha. And not just any tea: we used gyokuro okabe, with high-grade dark leaves grown using an ancestral technique, partially protected from the sun by umbrellas. Let’s uncork this elegant black bottle (if we can manage it, the cork being a badass) and taste. The bubbles are generous and pleasant, but gyokuro connoisseurs will not find the spinach, seaweed or sweet herb notes they are used to. Overall, we are more on exotic and summery fruit, between pear and white peach; in a second step, an umami side and a subtle enveloping sensation on the palate develop. The progression of these Bulles de thé is a little confusing, with a marked and sparkling opening, falling once the sip has been swallowed, but leaving a beautiful lingering finish with a slight bitterness.
Sylvain Sarrazin, The Press
Bubble Tea by Lao Kombucha
Alcohol-free
$24.99 (750 ml), available online, at Apéro à Zéro and at several points of sale
Sauces from here that make you travel
IMAGE PROVIDED BY CANADA SAUCE
The Asia Sauce range
After ketchup, mustard and relish… here are Asian sauces. Simon-Pierre Murdock, entrepreneur behind the Quebec condiment brand Canada Sauce, recently launched six new products inspired by as many Asian countries. The range was imagined with the aim of making the “rich and nuanced flavors of Asian gastronomy more accessible to amateurs”, can we read in the press release. In our eyes, mission accomplished! Very versatile, peanut satay sauce goes well with both vegetables and meat. The perfect solution for a weeknight dinner: leftover chicken, a few pieces of peppers, rice noodles and a little sauce. In less than 10 minutes, the meal is served. We also really liked the Korean BBQ sauce and its very well-dosed spiciness. An amazing banana ketchup is also part of this line of local products that makes you travel.
Veronique Larocque, The Press
Asia Sauce by Canada Sauce
$8.99 (375 ml) per jar, available online and in many Metro supermarkets in the Montreal area
Farewell, potato chips
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THREE FARMERS
There are four flavors of roasted lentils.
Looking for a snack to satisfy late-night savory cravings, we recently tried the barbecue-flavoured roasted lentils from Canadian brand Three Farmers. Verdict? This is exactly what we were looking for without even knowing it. With their spicy taste and crunchiness to the bite, these lentils are the healthy solution we wanted to find to replace the potato chips that, personally, we would like to eat less. With its high vegetable protein content (10 to 12 g) and 7 g of fiber per 40 g serving, it’s a satisfying snack that you can also imagine enjoying between two meals. In the same style, the Saskatchewan company also offers roasted beans and chickpeas. The flavors are varied, ranging from the classic salt and vinegar to the original turmeric and spices, passing through the popular spicy cheddar.
Veronique Larocque, The Press
Roasted Lentils by Three Farmers
Grown and made in Canada
$5.99 for a 140g bag
Better than soda?
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RISE
The new range offered by Rise: Better Soda
Rise products, in general, we love them; whether it’s the range of classic kombuchas, the one with 1 g of sugar per serving or the sparkling adaptogen drinks, launched last year. That’s why we were immediately enthusiastic about trying their latest novelty, Better Soda, a range of “good for you” sodas, with interesting health characteristics: made from 100% natural ingredients, very little sugar per serving (between 2 and 3 g, from fruit juice) and, above all, the use of cassava, a plant whose probiotic fibers add a convincing 3 g of fiber per can. A soda good for intestinal health? This is an innovation that seems very relevant. In their pretty, colorful cans with a retro aesthetic, the three flavors (Orange, Cola, Lemon-Lime) catch the eye on the shelves. But it is on the taste side that the shoe pinches; when tasted, the sweetener (Reb A, from stevia leaf extract) takes up far too much space. The result is rather bland; we would have expected a lot more punch. Even son, addicted to kombuchas and other sparkling drinks, did not want to finish his drink. That says it all…
Iris Gagnon-Paradise, The Press
Better Soda by Rise Kombucha
Contains FiberSMART fibre, a natural source of fiber from the cassava plant.
$3.49 per can or $12.99 per case of 4 units, available at points of sale