Tour guide opens aiyu jelly tea shop in Bangkok after losing job
A tour guide is redirecting his career towards making tea in Bangkok after losing his job when Covid hit. In order to stand out from the usual Boba tea sellers, he decided to take a turn at offering an alternative to the popular drinks. 38 year old Auttapol Saejong, has introduced an aiyu jelly drink to the streets of Thailand capital.
“I used to take Chinese tour groups to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Pattaya. But they were all gone after COVID [surfaced].”
To keep afloat financially, Auttapol decided to open The Frog Prince, after using his experience of 16 years as a chef in Taiwan at a Japanese restaurant and at a tea shop. It was from that experience, that he embarked upon importing Taiwan seeds of the awkeotsang creeping fig, in order to make his own aiyu jelly.
“It’s not very well known in Thailand yet. Mostly people drink bubble tea, which is not so good for your health. The texture of the jelly is like Pipo, but softer. It just melts in your mouth, not like pudding or gelatin.”
Aiyu jelly is derived from the gel that forms when one soaks the awkeotsang creeping fig seeds. In Taiwan, the mixture is popular as it often comes in snacks that are mixed with fruits and honey. Auttapol makes sure his version of the drink follows its Taiwanese roots as he carefully scoops the ingredients for each customer. He says it is a guilt-free snack that it a light alternative to the sugar-filled bubble tea drinks.
His favorite? The osmanthus tea with passionfruit, as he says it is a fragrant flower tea that is not too acidic. The best part is his tea drinks are able to be consumed for mostly under 60 baht.
“Women in Taiwan really like to drink aiyu because there’s no flour or gelatin. It’s from a fruit, and helps you to feel full and control your weight. You won’t get fat no matter how much you eat it.”
Such drinks at Frog Prince boast a mere 30 calories per half cup and are made fresh everyday. Aiyu is composed of 90% water, with pectin as the gelling agent. He says it makes a great source of fiber and drinkers say they fel satiated. On top of feeling full, the jelly aids the digestive system, hydrates the skin, decreases cholesterol and can even boost the milk supply of a breastfeeding mum. Auttapol says he even sells the seeds for those who want to try making their own.
Auttapol says he is also able to cut out the sugar altogether and notes he only uses brown sugar when it is included. On a greener note, he encourages customers to bring their own cups and straws to cut back on plastic waste.
So far, The Frog Prince is available on most food ordering apps such as Grab, Line Man, and Food Panda. Auttapol says his unique tea shop is open from 10am to 7pm daily and is located on Thetsaban Songkhro Road in Chatuchak district by the Bon Marche market.
SOURCE: Khaosod English
