If you’ve ever walked past a Chagee outlet, you would know it’s not hard to spot a bunch of people standing around, waiting for their orders.
Despite being relatively new to Singapore’s hyper-competitive F&B scene, Chagee was quick to gain its footing and established itself as one of the popular brands among Singaporeans.
When Chagee first opened in Singapore, it was a dream come true for loyal fans here. Yes, there’s a fan base even before its arrival.
As someone who drinks tea casually (read: not a tea snob), this phenomenon piqued my interest.
What is in their drink that people are willing to join a snaking, long queue just for a cup of goodness?
It was not difficult to find big fans of Chagee around me to ask – I looked left, looked right, and spoke to some of my friends and colleagues to find out more.
“I’m not even a tea person but…”
For my colleague, Hannah, it’s Chagee’s peach oolong tea.
Photo from Chagee.
Why? Chagee’s concoction is the least sweet one that she’s had and has a nice balance of fruitiness and fragrance.
“Mind you, I’m not the biggest fan of Chinese tea, but this is palatable.”
On the note of balance (pun intended), I second Hannah’s opinion on this.
I usually go for their Da Hong Pao milk tea, which hits the sweet spot for me—strong tea flavour with just the right amount of lingering aftertaste.
Photo from Chagee.
Chagee’s signature?
But neither of our favourites are their best-seller.
The one that wins most of their fans’ hearts is their jasmine green milk tea, now officially known as the Bo·Ya jasmine green milk tea.
Photo from Chagee.
My colleague, Winnie, was shocked when I told her that I haven’t spoken to anyone who picked Bo·Ya jasmine green milk tea as their favourite drink (yet).
Excuse her language. Screenshot via Michelle Chew.
According to Winnie, Bo·Ya jasmine green milk tea had the strongest tea flavour, and she wasn’t the only one who felt strongly about the tea.
Cheryl, a friend of mine, also shared that her top two picks at Chagee were Bo·Ya jasmine green milk tea and Ceylon milk tea.
Screenshot from Michelle Chew.
I’m no tea connoisseur but it’s hard not to trust when my friends are giving such strong endorsement to Chagee’s qualit(ea).
But for those who takes pride in being a tea snob, you’ll be glad to know that Chagee has a laborious, artisan method called “scenting” for its Bo·Ya jasmine green tea.
The fresh jasmine flowers are placed on the green tea leaves at night, allowing the tea to absorb the natural oils. The flowers are then replaced with a fresh set of flowers the following night, with this process repeating three to seven times.
Instead of using jasmine-scented oils or floral sprays to mimic aroma, Chagee’s signature multi-round scenting process ensures the natural aroma is preserved.
What does Bo·Ya mean?
Besides its taste and fragrance, its name is also one of its kind – what’s Bo·Ya?
Turns out “Bo·Ya” is inspired by a Chinese historical figure, Bo Ya (伯牙), who played the Chinese guqin. But the story doesn’t stop there.
Bo Ya went on to meet Zi Qi, a woodcutter, who articulated the intended emotions behind Bo Ya’s note, showing a deep connection between the two.
The renaming served as a poetic nod to Chagee’s belief in “meaningful connections through tea”.
If you’re a fan of Chagee, surely you got to know this.
Alright, I’m going to grab a cup of Bo·Ya jasmine green milk tea with my colleagues now.
Screenshot from Michelle Chew.
Catch you later, best(ea)!
This Chagee-branded article made the writer want to order the Bo·Ya jasmine green tea now.
Cover photo courtesy of Chris Lee/Facebook and Chagee.
