An Inside Look At Our ADC Collaboration
We took a moment to interview Amy Truong (Paru founder) and Kris Warren (An’s Dry Cleaning co-founder) about our tea and gelato collaboration.
Where did you get the idea to use teas? And how did you get the idea to contact Paru?
KW: We all decided when we started this company that we would never do anything to compromise the quality of our product. Because of that, we spend a lot of time searching for the highest quality ingredients to use in our gelato. We first came across Paru in SD Magazine's “Best Of” list. The more we researched Paru, the more we felt like this partnership was the perfect fit. There are a lot of similarities between tea and gelato in that they are both very delicate and need proper caring-for to make them perfect (or as close as we can get). Paru is owned and run by people who are passionate about what they do, and as a result, they make the best tea in San Diego. To me, that's just the type of company, people, and product we want to work with.
Do you like tea?
KW: Yes—I've been drinking tea since I was very small. My mom used to make me a cup of Sleepy Time every night before bed. Today, I'm a huge fan of oolong.
What was the collaboration process like?
AT: It was great! Working with Kris and the An’s team was amazing. It was just so pleasant and we were all on the same page of what we wanted to achieve, which was great. It was truly a pleasure to work with Kris, and I know this won’t be our last collaboration together.
KW: The collaboration process was amazing. Amy was so easy to work with. She's helpful, easy going, kind, smart, and makes an amazing product. I feel like An's & Paru have formed a lifelong friendship.
What teas did you think weren’t the best idea to turn into gelato? Did An’s pull through?
AT: I actually thought Blue Chamomile would taste light in flavor and I was totally wrong. It tastes the truest to its original tea.
Are there any flavors you’re glad An’s didn’t try and touch at all for fear they would make terrible gelato?
AT: Not at all. I knew they would make it work as they’ve always done with their flavors. I’m also happy they made decisions to keep a few of our teas “as is” because they thought they made a good enough gelato flavor on its own. For example, the Thai tea.
What was the most difficult tea to translate into gelato?
KW: To me, it was the Jasmine. We tried it so many times. It was hard to get it to pair well with something where it didn't take over and also wasn't overpowered. When you taste it with the blueberry now it feels like the two were meant to be together.
Did any flavors get dropped?
AT: We worked on a rooibos and a shiso flavored tea and I guess it didn’t pair too well. But that’s fine. Similarly to our tea blends, we only want to share the best gelato with our customers.
KW: We just couldn't get rooibos to work no matter what we tried to pair it with.
How have the customers been responding to the menu?
KW: The level of excitement around this partnership has been huge. We've had so many people reach out to us on social media or come into the shop to ask about the tea menu. The weekend we launched the menu in the shop we had a line out the door almost all day.
What’s your favorite gelato from this line?
AT: That’s difficult, but I’d have to go with the Oolong + Bourbon Cherry and Blue Chamomile.
KW: Mine is the “Salakot.” It's the black hibiscus with cashews and triple berry jam. It reminds me of a snack I used to eat as a kid.
What other foods do you think would go well fused with tea? Are you going to break into the wine business? (Jk)
AT: I feel like tea is really universal and won’t be overpowering in a lot of culinary dishes. I personally love cooking with tea, so I hope that this can be the start of something really eye-opening.
Will you extend any of the flavors to a more permanent menu?
KW: Absolutely. Some of these flavors are so popular with both our staff and customers that I think people would be sad if they never saw them again. I think we will be constantly rotating in some of the flavors on our menu.