Tiffany Leong, a graduate student at Yale University, is developing Qi Foods LLC, an East-Asian superfood-based beverage line.
So far Leong’s line consists of three drinks, Jujube, Hawthorn Berry, and Chrysanthemum Flower.
Leong, who is Chinese-American, grew up in Texas with her mother always using foods like jujube while cooking. The idea for Qi Foods came to Leong while she was feeling homesick and missed the regular taste of herbal ingredients.
The three drinks Leong provided samples of at the market used ingredients she grew up tasting daily. The Hawthorn Berry drink was inspired from the Chinese sweet known as Haw flakes.
“It’s like nostalgia in a bottle,” Leong said.
With the goal of bringing Chinese superfoods to the mainstream Western market, Leong brainstorms ingredient ideas with her mother. “It feels good to be able to work on something that helps me feel more connected with my culture,” she said.
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