I don't know if I likes or not likes...

Yesterday while poking around at Piko (which is a very 'poking around in' kind of shop), I found a little sachet of something called Teecino and was intrigued by the outrageous claims on the packet. Working in the supplement industry, I'm used to some pretty crazy rules regarding what you can and can't say on a label. For example, we once had to reprint 5000 labels because the TGA deemed that calling something a 'tonic' was an unproven statement.

Now I'm not sure if you can see what is written in the fineprint (because I was too lazy to change the wide-angle lens on my camera, so I'll just tell you. It says 'tastes just like real coffee'. I can see what they are so transparently trying to do. It's like saying 'just like real crack' to a drug addict. I had to buy it. Couldn't not.

The result was aesthetically pleasing and, I thought, not too bad tasting. It's kind of caroby with a hint of roasted chicory. I tried it on The Programmer and it blew his socks off, but not in a good way. In fact he sat there with his tongue hanging out, signalling desperately for me to make him a 'real espresso' to take the taste away. I guess I am more used to alternative things.

Conclusion:

The people that think Maya Teecino tastes just like coffee are fully decaffed yoga-junkies that have not had a coffee for fifteen years. They should just stop that 'this is like real coffee' joking around right now because it's not funny. However, the product does not fare badly if you are looking for a coffee substitute that enables the ritual of operating the Saeco espresso machine and makes the kitchen smell nice. Also, you can have one at 11pm and still get to sleep. Or, you could if you weren't completely addicted to blogging the minutiae of your foody adventures.