For close to seven months, the pouch of Cosmix My Happy Gut X Hot Chocolate just lay on the dining table. As someone who thinks that products pitched as “healthy” taste like cardboard, I had little motivation to open it. Finally, curiosity about the “Hot Chocolate” part of the mix got me to try it. And was I bowled over. The specially sourced Indonesian ctriphalaacao and cacao blend and cardamom in the mix lend it a rich flavour. The other ingredients include adaptogens like ginger, fermented papaya, triphala, mulethi, ashoka and reishi mushroom extract. The recommended way to have it is with hot milk or water but I have been having it with cold milk almost every night, before going to sleep. While I really wish I had opened the pouch earlier, I think I now know what to give my friends— and myself—for Christmas. —Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran
No, it’s not a phone. No, it’s not a car. It is a super functional bag. I had been on the lookout for a dependable backpack for daily use and I think I have found a winner in the Kelp Meridian convertible briefpack from DailyObjects—part of their sustainable Pangea collection. Apart from its subtle striped interiors and ample storage space, the thing that stands out is that you can carry it like a tote bag, a briefcase, a messenger bag or a classic backpack—apart from kelp, it comes in four other colour options. Eco-conscious users will be happy to know that every one of these backpacks has been made with 13 recycled PET bottles. There are some other smart additions—a dedicated key-holder extension in one of the pockets, a concealed carrying space with a magnetic lock, and so on—that make it ideal for an office commute. —Nitin Sreedhar
I am not a coffee person but curiosity drives me to try craft offerings from different estates. At Subko café in Mumbai last week, I had a memorable light roast from Karnataka’s Gunibylu Estate. The tasting notes said cranberry, papaya and red lemon; and the process used was carbonic maceration naturals. A quick Google search showed it means putting coffee cherries in an airtight steel barrel, filling it with carbon dioxide and letting them ferment. I imagined what it could taste like (maybe sourish), and, hooked by the anticipation of a new discovery, I got a pour-over. It had a tinge of lemon, a pleasant sourness that gave way to sweetish acidity. It’s hard to forget the bright taste notes and the catchy name, Gunibylu. —Jahnabee Borah
A few years ago, I switched to the curly girl method (CGM) and discovered my very frizzy hair was, in fact, very curly hair. CGM has more and more takers now, so it made sense that a player like Dove would enter the curls market. I have been happy with CGM products from Indian brands but caved in and got Dove’s conditioner for curls last month. And I am impressed. My hair is the longest it has ever been and each wash day is painful thanks to the tangles—but this conditioner has cut detangling time by many minutes, and is very moisturising. The slip is great and it saves me time during mid-week washdays. It does have silicones, though, so it’s not entirely CGM-friendly. —Dakshayani Kumaramangalam
