Darren YeohThe Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is arguably one of the most famous coffee shop franchises in the world. It is especially popular in Malaysia, often listed as one of the top two most popular coffee spots in the country. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
However, did you know that, as part of their pledge to be more environmentally friendly, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Malaysia now uses edible rice straws? Let me say it again: in Malaysia, you can actually eat a Coffee Bean straw!
Also read: 5 Cafes in Singapore That Will Deliver A Cup of Coffee to Your Doorstep
Image credit: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Malaysia
These edible rice straws are made from natural ingredients like rice and tapioca. Not only are they fully biodegradable, but they can also keep their shape and form for up to six hours even when submerged in your drink. Most importantly, they can actually be eaten!
I’m sure that last bit raised a fair few pairs of eyebrows. A straw that you can eat? Sounds weird, doesn’t it? Apparently, many Malaysians thought so too because many of them initially thought that the rice straws were “fake”.
How to eat a straw
However, one dedicated barista seems to have changed that. Taking to his TikTok account, Azmey Zainal posted a video showing, once and for all, that yes, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf straws CAN be eaten.
Image credit: Azmey Zainal
In the 54-second clip, Azmey can be seen opening a wrapper and taking out a coffee bean straw. He then inserts it into his ice-cold drink to take a sip before chewing off a piece of the straw and eating it! He then goes on to say that, despite this, he does not recommend doing it (probably because of the taste?).
However, he did offer a tip to those who do not like the texture of hard rice. “Let it soak in the drink for a while and it will be a little softer, like jelly.”
Azmey’s video has since garnered over a million views, with many complimenting him for his creative way of setting the record straight. Some even joked that they would head on over, not for the coffee, but for the Coffee Bean straw itself! Watch the full video here!
Also read: The UNIQLO Ginza Flagship Store Now Has a Cafe and Original Coffee
Hopefully, this will eventually lead to more F&B chains hopping on the rice straw trend and reducing our reliance on plastics!
