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Showing posts with label Paper boat beverages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paper boat beverages. Show all posts

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Anar - The latest variant from Paper Boat Drinks (Product Review)

Just before Diwali, a parcel arrived one afternoon. As I eagerly unwrapped it, a cute pink box stared back at me. Now I don't have to go on and on about the connection between the female of the species and the color called pink. A smile had already lit up my face even without having a peek at the contents. A package from Paper Boat has that uncanny knack of unleashing a deluge of memories.


















I could have continued in that idyllic state of mind for hours had it not been my hyper kid who wanted to have a go at the contents. "Open Mama, open the box". As I lifted the lid, two pouches embossed with the familiar paper boat logo and a yet unfamiliar image stared back at me. "Anar". I said it aloud only to have my son scurrying into the kitchen for his favorite tumbler. And he was back in a fraction of a second with another request. "Open, I drink juice". Now I have been drinking this brand for the last three years and that confidence led me to pour out a glass for him even without going though the ingredient list. Yay. They are all natural and filled with goodness.

The kid had finished one pouch even before I could click some decent pics. But I have no complaints since he loved it so much. I would blindly trade the colas that he dotes on for a eco-friendly pouch of all natural goodness.
































Coming back to the pink box. It also contained 'besan ka laddoo', a cutey fridge magnet, a couple of picture postcards and a personalized note. Even more cuteness packed into an cute box which is already gracing my dresser as a handy container for all the junk jewelry that I adore. Thank you Paper Boat Drinks. It was one of the best Diwali gifts I got.


















Verdict on the 'Anar' variant -

Yaay's -
1. Low on sugar ( just 4.5 g/100ml)
2. Fruit flavour which will be a big hit with kids.
3. Low on calories ( 47.2 kcal/100 mL)
4. No preservatives
5. No added colors
6. All natural ingredients (as listed on package) - water, pomegranate juice concentrate, sugar, iodized salt, spices and condiments, and black salt.
7. Priced at Rupees 35/250 ml.
8. Gluten free.

Naay's -

None.


Rating - I would rate it a 4.75/5 based on taste/calorie content/pricing and health perspective.

[ Though product samples sent by the company, my opinion is unbiased and strictly personal.]

Find more reviews of the Paper Boat drinks -

Link 1 - here ( Aamras, Jaljeera, Kokum and jamun kala khatta )
Link 2 - here (Ginger Lemon tea and Tulsi Tea )
Link 3 - here (chilled rasam and sattu )

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Chilled Rasam & Sattu Drink: Latest variants from Paper Boat

Paper boat is back with more variants !!! This time it is rasam (???) and sattu (???). While folks from the North would balk at the mention of rasam, folks down south would do the same when it comes to sattu. Hence the strikingly differnt flavours to please all folks :)







Before we discuss the drinks further, let us get a lowdown of the benefits of each -

Benefits of Rasam -

1. Aids digestion.
2. Helpful in cases of flatulence.
3. Helps when one is down with cold/mild fever (thanks to pepper)
4. It is touted to have cholesterol lowering properties too (thanks to tamarind)
5. It is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and blood purifying too (thanks to garlic)



Benefits of Sattu -

1. Nutritious and also easily digestible.
2. High fiber content
3. Provides instant stamina
4. Great for diabetics and those suffering from high blood pressure.
5. Greatly refreshing, hence served as a cooling drink during the summers to prevent heatstroke.
6. A natural health drink that helps in maintaining weight.


How I find the stuff ?






















Chilled Rasam is a dark brown liquid which is thicker than the regular 'hot rasam' and it lacks a bit of sweetness. Tastes good when chilled though and I think that I might even warm it a bit, add some tempering and have it with my rice.

The Sattu variant is quite thick just like the original stuff. But i would have liked it to be a tad bit sweeter and less sour (though some people do add a little lemon juice to it). I found it to more refreshing than the other variants (with the exception of Aam Panna).

Why would I recommend Paper Boat drinks ??

Yaay's -

1. Low on sugar ( just 1.65 g/100ml for Sattu Drink & zero for Chilled Rasam)
2. Traditional Indian flavours
3. Low on calories ( 31.5 Kcal/100 ml for Sattu Drink and 14 Kcal/100ml for Chilled Rasam )
4. No preservatives
5. No added colors
6. All natural ingredients
7. Nice taste (when slightly chilled)
8. Priced at Rupees 30/250 ml.
9. Gluten free
10. Low GI & low calorie.

Naay's -

1. None. (though i would not mind if both are a tad sweeter)

Friday, October 17, 2014

Tulsi Tea & Ginger lemon Tea : Reviews

A dreary long afternoon without power. Though cocooned from nature's fury by virtue of its geographic location, the aftermath of Hudhud is being felt in a very different form in the IT city(refer news). While the power shortages have disrupted our set schedules, it has also opened up new avenues of entertainment. No telivision/no laptop equals to more books/going to the park/chatting up with neighbours. On one such afternoon as I was engrossed in a Paulo Coelho, the doorbell rang. As I was expecting a package from Borosil, I ran excitedly to open the door. 'Ah at last', I exclaimed when I saw the courier guy with a package. I signed and took the package in my hands. It felt different.  I took a proper look at the consignment details. That is when I saw the words 'Paper Boat' along with their logo embossed on the package. Had missed it in my excitement. They have launched two new variants of their drinks and had sent it for review. (PS- I loved the tiny note you guys sent with it!!!)























This is the third time I am reviewing their products which are all natural ready-to-serve 'Indian' beverages. Have previously reviewed all the exising flavours and I think these two variants are a nice addition to their repetoire. Both the flavours 'Tulsi Tea' and 'Ginger Lemon Tea' are much loved and widely consumed especially during winters. Touted to be the sure cure for all sore throats, they are essentially hot beverages. But the twist is that these RTS beverages need to be 'served chilled'. So how did they fave on my gusto-meter ??

The samples came in a jute bag (this time it is brown) enclosed within a cardboard box (brownie points for the eco-friendly packaging). There were two samples of each flavour. Though it was mentioned to 'serve chilled', I could hardly wait to try them. So, I tried them at room temperature first. Both turned out to be quite refreshing but tasted somewhat similar ( both have those lemony notes ). The Tulsi variant is a litle too subtly flavoured and maybe they can upp the flavour by a notch or two. I liked the Ginger-Lemon variant among the two. It has that right balance of flavours ( and that ginger smell which I really dig ). It think it is really nice. Reminded me of the CCD iced tea that was a favorite at one time.

[The remaining samples were duly kept in the fridge and tried later. Yes, they do taste better when chilled. Stock them in your fridge for those hot ( and also not-so-hot ) days.]






















Yaay's -
1. Low on sugar ( just 6 g/100ml)
2. Traditional Indian flavours
3. Low on calories ( 27.4 Kcal/100 ml for Ginger Lemon and 24 Kcal/100ml for Tulsi )
4. No preservatives
5. No added colors
6. All natural ingredients (as listed on package) - water, sugar, black tea leaves, lemon juice concentrate, ginger, lemongrass, tulsi leaves.
7. Nice taste (when slightly chilled)
8. Priced at Rupees 30/250 ml.

Naay's -

1. I expected the Tulsi version to have a stronger flavour.



Rating - Since Paper Boat Drinks are in a league of their own, it will not be favourable to comapare them with other beverages. However, i would rate it a 4.25/5 based on taste/calorie content/pricing and health perspective.

[ Though product samples sent by the company, my opinion is unbiased and strictly personal.]

Monday, April 28, 2014

Paper Boat Drinks (Review)

The schools have closed for the summers and most kids are now grounded at home. The heat and the hours spent playing is definitely taking a toll on them and one can see them demanding stuff like cola and other chillers. After all that is the stuff being played out on TV all day.

But the question is do we want our kids to grow up without sampling a bit of our foodie heritage. What about all those natural stuff that we grew up on. Those drinks that form an indelible part of our childhood memories and were much cherished by generations. While loving grandmothers and mothers had all the time in those laid back days to make it with their own hands, Paper Boats brings that very same goodness packaged in a quite innovative manner in eco-friendly pouches.

I must say it was an ad in the TOI that drew me to these drinks. I quickly bought and sampled four of the flavors and have repurchased them a few times too. Got it online from Bigbasket.com. You can order them Here . And BTW i paid a visit to their website which is quite fun. I especially loved the bit where they show how to make a paper boat. Yep, you can find it on the landing page itself. So sweet.

Loved the packaging!!!




















Aamraas turned out to be my favorite followed closely by the 'Jamun Kala Khatta' (Maybe you can blame this on the fact that I am a huge fan of mangoes and that might have colored my judgement. But the sweet thick nectar-like stuff does make me go crazy.)

The flavours is in order of my preference.


Aamraas





Jamun Kala Khatta

















Kokum


















Jaljeera
















I liked the 'Jaljeera' flavor the least. It was maybe too sweet for my liking.


Ratings -

The drinks score a 4.5 for their packaging, quantity and overall appearance.
They are true to the natural taste and free of any preservatives. Hence taste takes a 4.5.
Priced at Rs 30 each, they are easy on pocket too. (But if you compare to drinks like Maaza and others, they are slightly expensive which might influence some customers.) Hence I would give it a 4.5.


Overall, I rate it a 4.5/5. And yes, I have re-purchased Aamraas and Kala Khatta. Also looking forward to trying out the new flavours 'Imlee ka Amlana', 'Golgappe ka Pani' and 'Aam Panna'. 

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