Could it be that a delicious Taiwanese dessert holds the key to unlocking the alleged ‘Asian secret to longevity’? It might sound too good to be true, but that’s what American rapper and songwriter Cardi B (born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus) is proposing on social media.
On March 23, the star shared an Instagram story encouraging her fans to try the bubble tea and tofu pudding from Taiwanese dessert specialist Meet Fresh.
This video…😂 pic.twitter.com/HdJB2itsR5
— 🍉 田里的猹 (@melonconsumer) March 23, 2022
In the video, she vouches for Meet Fresh’s products by saying, “Meet Fresh from UCLA got really good milk tea, bubble tea, and I love the skinny packaging.”
She goes on to highlight tofu pudding’s health virtues, including its low-sugar recipe, which she claims is — are you ready for it — the secret to Asian longevity.
“That’s why these Asian motherfuckers, they live long. Why would they be reaching like 140 years old [or perhaps 114, the audio isn’t exactly the clearest]? Because … they don’t really use a lot of sugar,” she gushed, praising the dessert for its inclusion of beans and recommending it for children.
The shout-out caught the attention of the Taiwanese dessert franchise, which reposted the rap star’s story on Instagram and Weibo. Meet Fresh’s 290,000 followers on the latter were prompted to “follow Cardi B’s lead.”
Chinese netizens enthusiastically responded to the news. “Cardi B has the stomach for Chinese food,” reads one comment.
Another goes, “Time to choose an overseas ambassador.”
This is far from the first time the American rapper has sounded off on Asian cuisine. In the past, Cardi B has openly shared her impressions of Asian snacks, fried noodles, and bubble tea.
One of her laudable culinary exploits was sampling chicken feet, a delicacy in many East Asian cultures that many in the West cannot stomach.
I’m I the only one that likes them chewy Chinese ginger candy ?
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 13, 2020
Cardi B has been embraced by Chinese netizens in recent years. In 2020, the chart-topping artist openly praised China for its quarantine practices and how the country handled Covid. In addition, the hip hop star has been a vocal critic of xenophobia in America.
She has become so well-known in China that a Shenzhen news station featured a clip of her expressing her concerns about Covid. In response, the star excitedly shared an Instagram post with the caption, “BITCH I DEAD DONE MADE IT IN THE CHINESE NEWS!”
We have no idea whether tea, beans, and conservative use of sugar in tofu pudding impact the human lifespan (we’re not doctors or nutritionists), but Cardi B sure seems excited at the prospect.
Cover photo designed by Zhuohan Shao
