Saturday 8 March 2014

Paper Boat – A Must Try

Paper boats!!!.... I am not talking about those small paper boats we made as kids.  This is the brand of natural flavored drinks that has just hit the market- the new kid on the block.

Why the name Paper boat for a drink ? Well the word Paper boat brings back those fond childhood memories to one and all.  And so goes the tag “Drinks and Memories”. The founders of this lovely product intend to flood the consumers mind with childhood memories through the numerous flavors that this brand of drinks has to offer.

But WHY Paper boat, especially when there are so many packaged fruit drinks available in the market. Well, the first detail that definitely stands out about the drink is its name. The other detail would surely be its packaging. Paper Boats are not sold in bottles or tetra packs but in pouches.

As the creators of the drink proudly declare “The Paper Boat pouches are made of a four-part laminate. The two outer layers are a blend of proprietary polypropylene and polyethylene. The penultimate layer is made of bonded aluminum. The inner layer is made of virgin, food-grade polypropylene which keeps the content fresh, safe and tasty.
(Source :http://paperboatdrinks.com/faq… I am a food blogger but not an expert on packaging material. Therefore I took the liberty to copy-paste the packing information from their site. For the record I trust them and their product.)
 
Another highlight of Paper Boat is the claim “No colors, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, basically none of that junk”.  (Printed on every pack). 

All that said, the real test is with the taste of the drinks. I have tried all the 7 flavors of Paper Boat. 

Aamras


Mango (Aam) is a seasonal fruit available only during summer. Remember those hot summer holidays eating fresh mangoes or cold aamras with hot hot puris?  Paper Boat aamras attempts to revive those memories. It might not be like freshly made aamras Mamma used to make but it’s a good substitute. The juice isn’t overwhelmingly sweet and makes the best mango drink available.

Kokum :

 
Kokum is a fuit from the mangosteen family, native to the Western Ghats of India. It is largely popular in the Konkan coast and is used to make the well-known “solkadi”. Inspite of its tangy sour taste, the fruit has been used to make juices and syrups.  Most of the available kokum concentrates are very sweet which overpowers the natural kokum taste. This is where Paper Boat Kokum drink is different. It does have added sugar and spices but the Kokum flavor dominates the drink. One sip of the drink and you will finish the entire pouch. With the cooling effects of Kokum, this is a perfect drink for summer.
  
Jaljeera :  

Jaljeera to Indians is what Lemonade is to the Americans. With its cooling effect it is the Indian drink to beat the ‘Indian summer heat’.  Paper Boat Jal Jeera is the perfect concoction spices, salt, lemon and water. It is just what one needs in the summer. 

Jamun Kala Khatta :   
 
The word ‘Jamun ‘ brings back memories of eating dark purple Jamun and checking out the color on your tongue. That’s exactly what this drink intends to do and it does so quite successfully. If I am right there aren’t any Jamun drinks (at least I have not had) available in the market. The Jamun Kala Katta is one of its kind. It is a must try if you are a Jamun fan.  


Imli Ka amlana:   

I wasn’t sure of this one. Tamarind is known to be sour and I wondered who would drink something sour and tangy. Well I was certainly wrong..  A perfect blend of tamarind extract, sugar and spices . Give this one a try if you love surprises.


Aam Panaa :

 
Aam Panna is a drink made with raw mangoes. The drink is more sweet than sour. It tastes good but it is not what one would like aam panna to taste like. 

Golgappe ka Pani :   

Gop Gappe ka Pani is not something that is unheard of... not as drink. The chilled pani will definitely make you run for the puris. It is a new flavor in the market. Neither too sweet nor too spicy, I loved the balance of flavors.

Verdict
Paper Boat drinks are definitely worth a try… especially during the upcoming summer. Some of the flavors will fill you with nostalgic memories while with the other flavors you can make new ones . Try the Imli ka aamlana and Jamun for they are the best of the lot.  Aam Panna could be better and Aamras might just need a little more “aam”.

At Rs 30/-  for a 250ml pouch these drinks are a treat to the throat.

More about Paper Boat at: http://paperboatdrinks.com/


PS: I wasn’t paid to write this. These are solely my personal views and opinions.