HEYTEA Milk Tea Popsicle Review

Fro-yo girl here. Good Fortune sells HEYTEA popsicles individually. Each popsicle comes in a nice-looking box. The popsicle flavors are grape & cheese, cheese & peach, grapefruit & mango, and milk tea.

The popsicles seem to be inspired by HEYTEA’s drinks. The logo even features someone drinking something from a cup. HEYTEA is a milk tea shop founded in Guangdong, China in 2012. The founder claims to have created cheese tea. The text on the packaging was in Chinese except for the words Popsicle and HEYTEA. The translated text on the box said, “HiTea Milk Tea Boba Popsicle” and “bite and eat.” The illustration shows the different flavors and textures in the popsicle. The exterior is Ceylon black tea ice, the interior is Ceylon tea ice cream with brown sugar boba, and the bottom is chi chi ice cream. I don’t know what chi chi ice cream is but I think it’s a cheese foam ice cream.

Milk tea popsicle: It’s an interesting popsicle. The brown exterior was firm and icy. It tasted like milk tea and was pleasant though quite icy. The interior was soft and creamy tea-flavored ice cream with soft, sweet, and chewy brown sugar boba. The boba had great texture. The very bottom was a creamy, sweet, rich, cheesy ice cream that I didn’t like but wasn’t so bad when mixed with the milk tea flavor. I wasn’t that fond of the icy shell either, though I liked the milk tea flavor.

One popsicle is $2.99. It was interesting and worth it, but I’m over boba milk tea popsicles.

Good Fortune Supermarket, 300 W Main St, Ste 120, Alhambra, CA 91801

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Boba Ice Cream Bars Review: I-MEI Ceylon Milk Tea Boba Ice Bar

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been awhile since I had a boba ice cream bar. The I-MEI Ceylon Milk Tea Boba Ice Bars seem to be fairly new. I spotted them at 168 Market and 99 Ranch Market in San Gabriel, California. One box contains four individually wrapped bars weighing 80g each. 99 Ranch was selling the box of I-MEI Ceylon Milk Tea Boba Ice Bars for $7.99, regular price. I-MEI is a Taiwanese brand and the ice bars are a product of Taiwan.

I-Mei Ceylon Milk Tea Ice Bar: The ice bar is smaller. It had lots of boba. I encountered a few boba in every bite. The tapioca balls were very sweet, soft, and chewy. The bar was creamy and milky with a strong tea flavor. The bar seemed super sweet and the balls were even sweeter. One bar is 140 calories with 5g total fat, 22g total carbs, 15g total sugars, and 1g protein.

I think I’m getting tired of boba ice cream bars because they’re too sweet. I wouldn't order a boba milk tea at regular sweetness either.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Shaomei Boba Black Tea Latte Ice Cream Bar Review

Fro-yo girl here. Shaomei, a Taiwanese brand, had (and maybe still has) the most popular brown sugar boba ice cream bars. They’ve been expanding their boba ice cream bar lineup with new flavors like pudding and taro. Recently, I found Shaomei Boba Black Tea Latte ice cream bars at Hmart Arcadia. One box, which contains four individually wrapped bars, was $7.99. One bar is 75 grams. These bars are also imported from Taiwan.

Boba Black Tea Latte ice cream bar: The bar was white with brown swirls. The interior of the bar was white. The bar was surprisingly icy (their brown sugar boba ice cream bars are much creamier) throughout. The tea flavor was strong and very bitter. The boba balls were soft, sweet, and chewy. I love a strong tea flavor but this bar was too bitter. The balls were plentiful.

One bar is 130 calories with 3.5g total fat, 15g total sugars, 23g total carbs, and less than 1g of protein.

I probably wouldn’t get these bars again because they’re bitter.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Kenji x Tsujiri Matcha Brown Sugar Boba Bars Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve heard of Tsujiri’s matcha cafes before (there aren’t any in the US yet) but I’ve never tried one. Tsujiri was founded in 1860 in Kyoto, Japan and is a well-respected matcha tea brand. “Mr. Tsuji has refined the cultivation of Gyokuro (the highest grade of Japanese green tea) and his method is still being used to this day. He is also the inventor of the tea box that preserves the longevity and freshness of the tea leaves during transportation, making fresh tea from Kyoto available to other Japanese cities a century ago.”

I found Tsujiri Matcha Brown Sugar Frozen Dessert Bars at H Mart in Arcadia, CA. One box contains four individually wrapped bars. Each bar is 80g. The box was $8.99 (regular price). The bars were imported from Taiwan and manufactured by Kenji.

Tsujiri Matcha Brown Sugar Boba Frozen Dessert Bar: The bar had a firm but not icy texture. I took a small bite from the top and already encountered soft, chewy tapioca pearls (boba). The bar had brown sugar swirls throughout. The matcha was a bit bitter. The bar had an abundance of boba. I might be in the minority but I don’t think that brown sugar and matcha are complementary flavors. But the bar had better than average textures for a boba ice cream bar. It's very similar to A-Chino’s version. One bar is 158 calories, 6.4 total fat, 23.5g total carbs, 15.4g total sugars, and 1.5g protein.

4 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

HMART: 1101 W Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

A-Chino Salted Egg Yolk & Boba Ice Cream Bar Review & Salted Egg Potato Chips Review

 

Fro-yo girl here. Last year, brown sugar boba ice cream bars were all the rage. This year, salted egg seems to be the flavor of the moment. A-Chino’s Salted Egg Yolk & Boba Ice Cream Bars combine the two flavors. I found them at 168 Market in San Gabriel, California for $6.99/box. One box contains four individually wrapped 80g bars. A-Chino is a Taiwanese brand and the ice cream bars are manufactured by Shuang Yeh Foods Co. and imported from Taiwan.

Salted egg is a familiar flavor that I grew up with, since you’d find salted egg in zhongzi, Chinese and Vietnamese steamed buns, and mooncakes. I like salted egg. Potato & Tea in San Marino, CA (closed permanently last year) had salted egg as an option for their flavored fries.

Salted Egg Yolk & Boba Ice Cream Bar: I have to admit that it sounds like a strange flavor, even to me, and I’ve had plenty of salted egg yolk. The ice cream bar has swirls of salted egg flavor throughout and the boba can also be found throughout the bar. The salted egg flavor was not strong. The bar tasted more like condensed milk. They added butter, salted egg yolk powder, and cheese powder. I think I tasted the cheese more than the salted egg. It reminded me of a mild version of Kraft Mac & Cheese. The bar was sweet, firm and a little icy. The tapioca pearls were soft and chewy. Interesting flavor – but I still prefer the tea flavored boba ice cream bars.

One bar is 178 calories, 6g total fat, 23g total carbs, 16g total sugars, and 2g protein.

I’ve tried A-Chino’s brown sugar boba ice cream bars, matcha brown sugar boba ice cream bars, and oolong tea boba ice cream bars. My favorite so far is the oolong tea boba ice cream bar. I gave the salted egg yolk & boba bars an extra half-star for creativity.

4 out of 5 stars.

I heard about Irvins salted egg potato chips last year and saw all kinds of salted egg snacks at 99 Ranch Market but I just tried salted egg potato chips this year. Irvins is the most famous maker of salted egg snacks.

Irvins “originated from a seafood restaurant and transfored our salted egg dishes into the addictive snacks that you love.” Their snacks are imported from Singapore. The snacks are expensive. An 8.11 oz bag of Irvins Salted Egg Potato chips is $18.88 on Amazon. I found Irvins Spicy Salted Egg Potato Chips (3.7 oz) on sale for $7.99 and Fragrance Salted Egg Potato Chips (2.47 oz) on sale for $4.99 at 168 Market in San Gabriel, CA. Fragrance chips are also imported from Singapore.

Irvins Hot Boom Salted Egg Potato Chips: These thinly sliced, fried potato chips are coated in red chili peppers and salted duck egg. They smell like they taste – spicy and rich duck egg. The potato chips are not ridged and they’re crunchy but weighed down by the coating. They’re super flavorful – an explosion of salt, very spicy heat, and sweetness. The salted egg flavor is strong and lingers for a long time. I could not taste the potatoes but that might not be such a negative. I liked it a lot but I’m not sure how often I’d crave them. One serving of 28g is 180 calories, 14g total fat, 200mg sodium, 11g total carbs, and 2g protein. Irvins adds a butter spread and uses MSG. The flavor is very intense, so a little goes a long way.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Fragrance Salted Egg Potato Chips: These potato chips were ridged and sweeter than Irvins. I could taste the salted egg but the flavor was not as strong. I could actually taste the potato and a small kick of dried chili pepper and curry leaves. Since these chips weren’t as flavorful as Irvins, I didn’t like them quite as much – but they were really good! Fragrance’s list of ingredients was much shorter and they don’t use MSG. I’d love to try a spicy version if they have one. Fragrance’s chips seem more natural and healthier. One serving of 28g is 160 calories, 11g total fat, 125mg sodium, 14g total carbs, 1g total sugars and 3g protein.

I’m sure that I’ll be trying other salted egg chips this year and maybe new boba ice cream bars, if they come out with new flavors.

4 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Boba Ice Cream Bar Reviews, Part 4: A-Chino Matcha Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar

 

Fro-yo girl here. Boba ice cream bars continue to be popular. I’ve noticed a few new varieties, including one with pudding and another one with taro. Both were from Shao Mei. The A-Chino Matcha Brown Sugar boba ice cream bar sounded more appealing to me because I love matcha. I found the A-Chino matcha boba ice cream bars at Hmart in Arcadia, CA. One box, with four individually wrapped bars, was on sale for $4.99 (regular price, $6.99). One box is 320g or 80g per bar. The bars are imported from Taiwan.

Matcha Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar: I’ve had a few A-Chino ice cream bars. Their brown sugar boba ice cream bars were very creamy but I wanted a stronger tea flavor. Like their brown sugar boba ice cream bars, the matcha version had a generous amount of brown sugar boba. I think there were a couple of boba in every bite, including the very first one. The bar was soft but chewy because of all the boba. The boba pearls were soft and chewy. The matcha flavor tasted powdery and did not complement the brown sugar flavor. The bar was a miss for me – too much boba and flavors that didn’t go well together. One bar is 158 calories, with 6.4g total fat, 23.5g total carbs, 15.4g total sugars and 1.5g proteins. 3.5 out 5 stars.

* HMART: 1101 W Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Boba Ice Cream Bar Reviews, Part 3: Tiger Sugar Black Sugar Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar and A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar

Fro-yo girl here. Boba ice cream bars are good enough that I’m excited to try the different brands and varieties. I’m looking for a milk tea flavored bar with chewy boba and so far, I haven’t found it. This week, I tried two new bars: Tiger Sugar Black Sugar Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar and A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar. I found them both at 99 Ranch Market in Arcadia, CA. 

Tiger Sugar Black Sugar Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar: A box of four individually wrapped bars was on sale for $7.99 (regular price $8.99). One 80g bar has 147 calories, 6g total fat, 22g total carbs, 15g sugar and 1g protein. The bar was a bit softer and less icy vs. A-Chino’s. It had a slightly stronger brown sugar flavor compared to A-Chino’s. There weren’t many boba pieces but they seemed larger. The boba were sweet and chewy. The exterior had brown sugar swirls and the interior was creamier. 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar: A box of four individually wrapped bars was $4.98 on sale, $5.99 regular price. One bar (80g) had 155 calories, 6g total fat, 23g total carbs, 16 total sugars, and 2g protein. There were more boba and the boba were sweet, soft and chewy. It mostly tasted like sweet cream, with a hint of brown sugar. 4 out 5 stars.

Both brands added molasses for a deep, rich sweetness. Both were imported from Taiwan. They looked very similar in appearance. They’re milkier and don’t have the intense brown sugar flavor of the leading brand, Shao Mei. Shao Mei’s is also the creamiest. Which one you like best will depend on how much brown sugar flavor you prefer. Shao Mei’s brown sugar flavor was overwhelming. My current favorite of the brown sugar boba bars is Tiger Sugar’s, though I prefer the flavor of the milk tea boba bars. 

Catch up on my other boba ice cream bar reviews, Part 1 & Part 2.

* 99 RANCH: 1300 S Golden W Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Boba Ice Cream Bar Reviews, Part 2: Pearl Milk Tea & Oolong Tea Boba Ice Cream Bars

Fro-yo girl here. When I first tried boba ice cream bars, I tried two kinds of brown sugar boba ice cream bars, one from Shao Mei and one from I-Mei. The boba in those bars was soft but I missed the milk tea flavor. So, I was excited to try milk tea boba ice cream bars. 99 Ranch in Arcadia, CA had quite a few varieties of boba ice cream bars.

I-Mei Pearl Milk Tea Ice Bar: A pack of four individually wrapped bars was $4.89. The bars are imported from Taiwan. One bar (88g) has 170 calories, 10g total fat, 18g total carbs, 16g total sugars, and 2g protein. It’s made with black tea, tapioca starch, agar and conjac powder. One side of the bar was white, sweet and creamy (like milk) and one side (about 2/3rds of the bar) tasted like milky black tea with a few “boba bits. The boba pieces were small and there were few of them. The bar was delicious and had a strong tea flavor. The boba bits were like jelly though and not chewy. It would have been better without the boba.

A Ching Oolong Tea Boba Ice Cream Bar: A pack of four individually wrapped bars was $6.99. The bars are imported from Taiwan. One bar is 178 calories, 10g total fat, 19g total carbs, 15g total sugars, and 2g protein. The white top of the bar was sweet and creamy and almost caramel like, with a few boba balls. The brown part tasted like oolong tea and it had more boba balls. The balls were crunchy and icy; they tasted more like jelly than tapioca pearls. The bar smelled like boba milk tea. The bar would have been better without the boba balls.

The brown sugar bars that I tried had better boba but if you want tea flavor, these bars were better. They used a different type of tea, so both tasted different. I hope that I can find boba ice cream bars with strong tea flavor and chewy boba.

4 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars Review

Shao Mei & I-Mei boba ice cream bars

Shao Mei bar

Shao Mei bar, interior

I-Mei bar, interior

I-Mei bar

Fro-yo girl here. I first heard about boba ice cream bars last year. They kept selling out, so I didn’t track any down. Fast forward a few months and the boba ice cream bars are now easier to find. I found three different brands at 99 Ranch Market in Alhambra, CA. No, they don’t contain yogurt.

Shao Mei is the most popular boba ice cream brand. A rival brand, I-Mei, produces a similar product. Both are Taiwanese brands. I-Mei calls their product Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Ice Bar. Both offer 4 individually wrapped bars per box. They were even priced the same, $7.99/box.

Shao Mei Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars: The bar had a deep brown marbled appearance and a prominent brown sugar scent. The first bite surprised me with contrasting flavors and textures. The exterior was an icier brown sugar shell. The interior was white, rich, milky, and creamy. I also bit into a boba which was sweet, soft, and chewy. The tapioca pearls were chewier than I expected. The flavors meld together in your mouth like a sip of a creamy brown sugar boba drink. I didn’t detect any tea flavor. Still, I really enjoyed the different textures and flavors. Yes, I would buy them again. One bar is 154 calories, 5g total fat, 16g total sugars, 25g total carbs, and 1g protein.

I-Mei Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Ice Bars: The bar had a lighter brown marbled exterior. The brown sugar flavor wasn’t as strong and tasted more like caramel than brown sugar. The interior wasn’t as creamy as Shao Mei’s. The bar was firmer and chewier because it had a lot more boba. The tapioca pearls were chewy and soft, though not as soft as Shao Mei’s. Also, Shao Mei’s bars were more flavorful. One bar is 160 calories, 5g total fat, 17g total sugars, 27 total carbs, and 1g protein.

I’d give Shao Mei 4.5 out of 5 stars and I-Mei 4 out of 5 stars. They’re both good!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.