Stunning superfood lattes that are perfect for your cup, mug or bowl!
One crisp fall day, Karen Danudjaja & Ella Dalling met in a Vancouver pub where they instantly connected over, as Ella recalls, "good beer and bad boyfriends”. Fast forward five years, and they are business partners in Blume - vibrant, nourishing, caffeine-free spice blends that make gorgeous, Instagram-friendly lattes. After years of tasting spice mixes across the world, the pair started experimenting at home before they walked into a store and asked “hey, would you buy this?”. The answer was yes, and since their first bag sold in Victoria’s Health on West Broadway, Blume is now on shelves in New York, Boston & Toronto to name but a few.
The latte as we know it is no longer confined to the shackles of caffeine. Chai, pumpkin spice and other sugar loaded alternatives have gained huge popularity in recent years, but Blume offer something new: a sugar free, healthy, superfood blend. Blume exists as an exciting caffeine alternative, allowing people to engage in coffee culture without having to consume the stimulant. A new addition to Vancouver’s (somewhat lacking) selection of caffeine-free hot drinks, these delicious, good-for-you spices produce brilliantly colored pastel lattes.
Furthermore, unlike many other health food drinks, these are as delicious as they are good for you. Blume lattes are a silky, sensory delight for your tastebuds, each cup satisfying, energizing and crucially, caffeine-free. For the trend-guzzling population of Vancouver, whose cafés compete to out-niche one another, the merging of health drinks and coffee makes perfect sense. They satisfy that craving for a hot cuppa whilst still providing a slow release energy boost, without the 2pm caffeine crash.
The concept, Ella says, is to create an avenue for people to access health foods who perhaps otherwise wouldn't. Some people have negative or intimidating preconceptions of superfood trends, avoiding them on the basis that they aren't a full time yogi and are thus somehow excluded from the market. Determined to change this, Blume is for the average Joe who would never consider themselves to be a part of the clean-eating movement. Rather, Blume is an olive branch for yummy, healthy goodness for everyone.
Taking their inspiration from further east, the turmeric & milk combo is commonly used in the Indian subcontinent in Ayurvedic medicine – a holistic, all-natural approach to health that has been practised for centuries. In the same vein, Blume’s ingredients are dedicated to your health. They use ingredients such as beetroot (rich in vitamin C to boost your immune system), ashwagandha (an increasingly popular natural anxiety remedy), matcha, moringa (fibre!) and of course, turmeric. A staple ingredient in south Asian cuisine, the ancient spice is believed to help with everything from inflammation to coughs and even cancer.
Blume's best-selling turmeric blend is not only caffeine-free, but also vegan, organic, and gluten-free. This delicious mix with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper is the perfect winter warmer, nighttime relaxer and also works great in soups. Once we opened up the gorgeous packaging, we were surprised at the generous portions. Using just a teaspoon per serving, it's going to last us a while! Our preference is to froth up a spoonful mixed with oat or almond milk (or “mylk”, as the cool dairy-free kids call it).
Blume began with the goal of creating a company that empowers everyone to live a healthy, full life. Ella and Karen have produced a range of products that look good, taste good and crucially, are good for you. Try one and we reckon it just might make you feel fresh/wonderful/rad and maybe even kinda trendy.
See Blume's smoothie recipe below for an example of how versatile Blume blends can be.
Order your first bag of Blume online here and use the code "WHISTLERSURVIVALGUIDE" for 20% off your first order. Purchase comes with free access to Blume recipes! Also available at the Green Olive Market & Cafe and Nootka & Sea in Squamish, or Stay Wild Natural Health Food Store in Pemberton.
Recipe: Raspberry Beet Smoothie
1 banana
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries ( blueberries and strawberries would also work)
1 tbs nut butter (almond, cashew, peanut or hazelnut)
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tbs oats
2 tbps Blume beetroot latte blend
1/4 cup almond mylk
Blend & add more almond mylk as necessary!