On a recent trip to Costco, I came across an Item I had heard about from some of the members from MyWholesaleLife.com Blog. They recommended this Vonbee Grapefruit Honey Tea available at Costco. They sometimes sell Honey Citron and Ginger Tea as well. Since I love grapefruit and Honey, I decided to pick it up.
Quick Ratings
- Honey: Subtle, Its hardly there.
- Color: Pink and Orange create a beautiful Golden Pink Cheong base.
- Aroma: Smells like a fresh grapefruit cut open. Heavy citrus notes.
- Flavor: Bitter punchy grapefruit, rind is incorporated.
- Texture: It’s like marmalade, Cheong preserve made in South Korea. Also known as Yuzu Marmalade. Dissolves in Tea, or spreads on Toast easily. Recommend a filter if you don’t want rind.
Vonbee Grapefruit Honey Tea Review
Grapefruit and Honey in a big jar sounded like a match made in heaven. This Vonbee Grapefruit and Honey Tea is imported from South Korea. Interestingly, they don’t grow Grapefruit there. So, they import the Grapefruit from the US, and then mix it with their Honey into what’s called a Cheong, and send it back to the US to be distributed by Costco.
That’s a unique trade. Which makes Costco a great resource, but definitely a novelty. Because we can get both of those main ingredients here in the US.
The company that produces this is Kkoh Shaem. They’ve been refining the Cheong method of preservation for 25 years. People seem to love their products.
So, I followed their directions for the best results.
・Enjoy tea or drinks at the ratio of hot/cold water 4 to 1 Grapefruit Honey Tea
・Enjoy sparkling drinks at the ratio of soda water 4 to 1 Grapefruit Honey Tea
( Use with any Green, Red, or Black Tea )
・Mix about 6-7 tsp of Grapefruit Honey Tea into the Tea.
This is definitely for those who love Grapefruit. The first sip was sour, bitter, and more acidic than sweet. The Honey notes were faint, but there. I tried it with a bag of Blue Lady Black Tea to bring out the citrus notes. Keep in mind that the Cheong has actual pieces of grapefruit, even the rind! So this is where it gets a little bitter. Because it uses the whole grapefruit, that flavor is pretty overpowering.
However, I didn’t mind it, and after a few sips, I acquired a taste for it.
At the end of the Tea there was just congealed grapefruit pieces. I tossed that.
One of my favorite Tea’s is by Zest and it’s loaded with Caffeine (over 160mg per cup ) so if that’s your vibe, check it out here.
Going Forward
I will be using a metal coffee filter to keep the flesh and peel the grapefruit out of the Tea. If you need more Honey flavor or want to add your own, I would definitely use less of the Grapefruit Honey Tea Cheong mix so you can sweeten it with your favorite Honey varietal. They recommend 6-7 teaspoons of the Cheong, but I’d use 4-5. Cheong is a preserve made pretty much out of sugar, however its not that sweet. This is heavy on the grapefruit taste, so if you want a heavy dose of Vitamin C I’d go for it.
Next, I’m going to try an Old-Fashioned mixed drink with a little bit of this stirred in! It’s absolutely a versatile preserve.
For the price, I’m really happy about this. For just $6.79 on sale at Costco, I think this has a great shelf life, and lots of versatility with recipes like Jams, Teas, Salad Dressing, and even Skin care.
Normally this is about $9. It provides more than 100 servings in a 70 oz jar. Definitely a value. And it was really cool to try a Tea in this form in the US.
Comment below if you have tried Vonbee Grapefruit Honey Tea, or are hoping to.
Interested in more reviews?
Vonbee Grapefruit Honey Tea Review
Vonbee Grapefruit Honey Tea
Only serious fans of Grapefruit will like this. If you’re looking for a Honey forward taste, this isn’t it. It is a great price, and has great shelf life. Costco carries a few Vonbee products. If you’re not a member, you can load up a Costco Cash card ( show it to the door greeter) and check out in-store with that.