How Supplement Powders and Adaptogen Drinks Sell You on Health | Eater
"A cultish, celebrity- and influencer-oriented Los Angeles grocery chain with a $200 annual membership that emphasizes visual, Instagram-ready wellness offerings and a tonic bar of pricey superfood drinks. At the Silverlake location the author encountered celebrity smoothies and one-ounce wheatgrass shots, and ordered a $15 small “superfood tonic” called “Jing City” — a dense, powder-heavy blend listing ingredients such as gynostemma tea, dandy blend, cistanche, cordyceps, eucommia, he shou wu, shilajit, deer antler, ant, goji and schisandra, plus stevia and oils — which she found powdery, earthy, sickly stevia-sweet and thoroughly unpalatable (with coconut oil congealing in the cup); a companion agreed it was among the worst drinks they’d tried. The visit illustrated the chain’s premium, performative wellness aesthetic and how visually compelling products can feel commodified and dissatisfying in practice." - Rachel Khong
