You read that correctly…
Coming to you from the Land of Morning Calm and the ever-rising coffee capital of the world comes the “Ah-sha-chu”. Sounding reminiscent of the English statement “I shot you”, which is part of the playful naming of this style of drink, the “Ah-sha-chu” is an interesting blend of sweet and bitter, rich, fruity, tasty, and certainly innervating! Keep reading to learn about this curious blend of iced peach tea with espresso in a fruity take on the iced Americano.
The origins
It isn’t so clear where this beverage originated in Korea. Maybe it was a trend that developed on social media like TikTok or YouTube. Maybe bored or curious young people decided to do some experiments with their daily caffeine sessions and ended up with "ah-sha-chu"?
Maybe it had an origin similar to dalgona coffee. During Covid-19 when people were bored and at home, unable to go to cafes for coffee, yet still wanting to try out ways to caffeinate, tried something new altogether for fun. Ah-sha-chu can be made at home with powdered instant peach tea sticks, similar to how dalgona coffee was originally whipped up using instant powdered coffee sticks. So there's some weight to this theory.
Another theory is an intrepid cafe tried something new or took a customer’s unusual order seriously and decided to make the drink a menu item. Some chain cafes that serve the drink include Ediya, One Euro, and a few others.
While the origins may be mysterious, the name is not. The joke of the name sounds like “I shot you” is meant to be cute and playful and perhaps reminiscent of drinks like “a shot in the dark”. This makes sense as the drink is effectively like a shot in the dark or a red eye, save if you swap a few of the key essential ingredients. But the methods of making ah-sh-chu compared to these more traditional coffee combinations are essentially the same.
With a cup of brewed iced peach tea and the shot of espresso poured right in. The name “ah-sha-chu” is actually an abbreviated way to say the phrase in Korean “Add a shot of espresso to the iced tea” or “ah-ee-seu-ti-eh shyat chu-ga” which is just shortend to “Ah-sha-chu” for brevity’s sake. In the world of coffee, there's no time to lose!
The drink
The beverage itself can be prepared in any number of ways. It can be prepared from a stick of instant iced peach tea with espresso added later, or prepared from a more authentic peach tea mix at a cafe. The tea is typically iced peach tea, though the potential for other fruit and floral teas does also exist as well. However, peach is the most common as of right now!
Once one has their peach tea prepared, then the shot of espresso is added in. Again, this is reminiscent of a red eye or shot in the dark, and potentially may be an intentional sweeter and less caffeinated take on those aforementioned coffee beverages but inspired by them nonetheless. Once the shot is added, one can enjoy their “ah-sha-chu” any way they would like.
The flavor combinations
This drink is mainly enjoyed cold, though hot variations can exist as well. The iced flavor is just subjectively more pleasant and synergizes a bit better with the mix of sweet and bitter that the ah-sha-chu brings to the table. The flavor is unique and reminiscent of some other coffee variations in Asia that pair sweet and fruity flavors with more bitter and strong tastes (see our article on Starbucks in China's pork latte). It is certainly sweet and the sugariness of the peach tea combined with the caffeine of the espresso makes for a fast and truly innervating lift of energy. The fact it is cold makes the drink easier to down in an instant. The smooth richness of the peach tea also helps to bring out some of the bright flavors, hints, and notes of the coffee beans in the espresso.
I-shot-you!
With a shot of espresso luckily! Ah-sha-chu is the latest coffee trend coming from South Korea. We may certainly see more interesting and unique variations on coffee coming with the advent of drinks such as this one. Why not brew up a cup of ah-sha-chu today? You may discover a new sweet and bitter flavor combination that will become your mainstay!
Works Cited
- “Making Ashotchu Is Short for Adding Shots to Iced Tea :).” 10000reicpe, www.10000recipe.com/en/6926636/Making_Ashotchu_is_short_for_adding_shots_to_iced_tea_. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024.
