The first time I heard of purple rice yogurt drinks, I was both intrigued and confused. How was a starch a drink? And, more importantly, did it taste good?
Purple rice yogurt drinks are currently trending. The beverage is basically a yogurt smoothie made with sweet, chewy purple rice, resulting in a slightly tangy shake.
According to Rose Sou, manager of Lunar Tea shop, the rice yogurt drink originated in Shanghai and began gaining popularity in 2019.
“Rice yogurt drinks have a unique taste, flavor and texture,” Sou says. “It’s a delicious drink, and because it tastes so good, most people would think this is an unhealthy dessert. However, it’s actually loaded with health benefits from the high-quality, fresh yogurt that we use.
“Yogurt is beneficial to the gut because it contains live and active cultures,” she adds. “The purple rice blended with the yogurt is soft and chewy, adding an interesting texture to the drink. Purple rice is also a whole grain that contains antioxidants. So, really, the entire drink consists of ingredients that are healthy and beneficial to the body.”
These beverages, along with stores specializing in it, are becoming increasingly widespread. The Alley — known for its original brew tea, milk teas and fresh fruit teas — recently added a new mango purple rice beverage to its menu, which is now available in addition to its purple rice yogurt smoothie.
“People nowadays are getting quite health conscious, but still want to have a ‘cheat’ drink sometimes,” says Ritsz Tok, representative from The Alley. “We think at first, these drinks gained curiosity from people wondering what it would taste like. It sounds and looks weird, but interesting at the same time. Once people try it, they get hooked by how good and refreshing it is and crave more.”
Kylee Lin, one of the owners of recently opened Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, emphasizes the drink’s health benefits compared to its fully sweetened boba counterparts.
“Purple rice yogurt is getting more popular because it’s different; it’s not your normal milk tea,” she says. “The rice yogurt drink is made with freshly fermented yogurt with no preservatives added. It’s also blended with fresh fruits, which makes it a healthier option than your normal sugary boba teas.
“White and brown rice will have similar health benefits and calories, but purple rice is higher in protein, iron and antioxidants,” she adds. “Purple rice contains antioxidants to promote heart health and lower the risk of some cancers. It helps detoxify the body and has anti-aging properties. Meanwhile, yogurt is a probiotic and helps digestion and absorption. (Since it’s filling) this drink can actually be considered as meal replacement for people on the go.”
Legend has it that forbidden rice was initially reserved exclusively for the ancient emperors of China for consumption — hence, its nickname; it was that revered. It was also scarcer, compared to white or brown rice. Today, purple rice is known for its more robust, nutty flavor, gluten-free nature and chewier texture.
“The purple rice has a unique, easy-to-chew texture and often comes with a sweet taste, so it surprisingly blends really well with yogurt that tastes sour,” Tok says. “The good thing about this drink is you can add different types of flavors or textures and it’ll still turn out great.”
With each sip of this unique beverage, customers will either get a mouthful of fresh fruits or both fruits and purple rice, according to Lin.
“We are not the first rice yogurt drink store that opened in Hawaii, but we make our own fresh yogurt in house daily,” she explains. “Our process in making the yogurt is so meticulous, that it takes a 24-hour period before it is ready to be used. We also cook fresh batches of purple rice throughout the day. We use high-quality ingredients and real fruits that are locally sourced, whenever possible.”
Speaking of fruits, popular rice yogurt drink flavors across multiple stores include taro, mango and ube, to name a few. There are even unique flavors like kiwi and grapefruit.
“Our most popular rice yogurt drink would be the mango rice yogurt or purple rice yogurt,” Sou says.
“We always use real mangos, and the mango flavor is a perfect match for the yogurt and rice. Our purple rice yogurt contains purple walls, which is a sweet potato purée that we make in-house using locally grown Okinawan sweet potatoes. The purple walls taste like ube, and they add to the creaminess of the rice yogurt drink.”
“The top five flavors (at Yomie’s) are ube, mango, strawberry, dragon fruit and lilikoi; we are working on adding more local flavors in the near future,” Lin adds.
This trend is still in its early stages here in Hawaii, according to Tok, since many still haven’t gotten a chance to try rice yogurt beverages. But many business owners believe it’ll last for a while.
“The trend is here to stay because people are more conscious about their health,” Sou summarizes. “It’s also a great caffeine-free alternative for those who crave a sweet drink that uses real ingredients.”
“The trend will only get more popular,” Lin adds. “People are becoming more conscious about what they eat and put into their bodies. The best part about purple rice drinks is that they’re suitable for any ethnicity or age, and they taste amazing.”
