Sparkling Water Challenge - Perrier v Oldenlandia

Clash of the Titans

One hails from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France (sounding quite atas already).

Representing France

The other is made from a herb named Oldenlandia or 百花蛇舌草 (already sounds damn cheena), bottled in Qingdao Laoshan Mineral Water Co. Ltd (confirm cheena).

Representing the People's Republic of China

But Yakki and I, big drinkers of Sparkling Oldenlandia Water, were adamant that besides the price and packaging difference, Perrier and Oldenlandia tasted the same.

So we had to initiate a Challenge.

The Challenge was simple.
Each participant had to keep their eyes shut while we poured 30 ml of each into two identical plastic cups. He/she was to taste each sample a la wine tasting and then give his/her comments on each.

It was a unanimous decision.
Out of a population size of six, the Perrier was the preferred choice of the common people.
It was gassier and blander, unlike the Oldenlandia which had a slight salty taste.

Expensive Perrier thrashes Cheap Oldenlandia

Yakki cried foul, protesting that I didn't buy the right Oldenlandia water.

On close examination, the less saltier and much gassier Oldenlandia water we usually drank did come from a can, not a bottle.

On even closer examination, this sample was bottled in Qingdao Laoshan Mineral Water Co. Ltd., while the canned version is a product of HSC Singapore.

But the decision was final. It would have been too lame for us to carry out this already lame and random test again, just to prove that Perrier isn't much better than Oldenlandia.

Regardless, we will remain greater fans of Oldenlandia Sparkling Water because:

1) It has more medicinal and nutritious value in it than Perrier; can cast away heatiness (zhua) within one's body.
2) It can be found in coffee shops and be served with salt at no additional cost.
3) It costs 70 cents per bottle. Perrier costs 3 times as expensive at $2.*

'Nuff said.

*both Cold Storage prices. prices in atas restaurants or heartland kopitiams might vary.