The term chappuccino caught my attention when I was looking for gifts for my pregnant friend. I imagined ten months without any caffeine or alcohol would be tough, so I intended to find her some nice caffeine-free tea.
Cha is the Chinese pinyin for tea. A chappuccino is an espresso drink made the same way as a cappuccino, with herbal rooibos tea, instead of coffee.
Behind the chappuccino is Chinese business woman Zhang Yipeng, who lived and studied in Cape Town for many years. She wants to introduce the caffeine-free rooibos tea, (which is commonly promoted in the west as a healthier hot beverage), from South Africa to China. She has also registered chappuccino as a trademark.
Her brand Smash a Cup on taobao offers rooibos tea bags and also specially made rooibos tea (RMB 98/200G) that can make a chappuccino using any Italian coffee machines. A ready made chappuccino is also available for RMB 28 at bookstore/café Belencre (字里行间) and RMB 30 at M+ Café.
My expectant friend loved the rooibos tea bags I sent to her, and we may go out to try a chappuccino soon. If any of our readers taste test first, please leave us a comment telling us your reactions below.
You can make a chappuccino using the following images as your guide.
Photos: courtesy of Smash a Cup
