Japanese Drinks that Will Excite
Japan has been very innovative in the fields of clothing, gaming and technology, especially in the recent years. It comes as no surprise that a nation, which was once thought to be home to sushi, soba, and sake, has now been diversifying their non-alcoholic beverage market too!
When you are not in a mood to pop that soda bottle, make sure you give the following Japanese drinks a try!
Calpis
Calpis, a cool Japanese drink, has an acidic flavor, with a milky texture- giving this drink a yogurt-like taste. Once you add bubbles to this, you get what is a carbonated Calpis Soda. So basically, Calpis can be imagined as a carbonated drink with yogurt in it! Although this concept may sound weird, Calpis is for sure a pleasant surprise to your tongue.
This drink is available as a concentrate as well as in a pre-mixed version called Calpis Water. The Calpis Soda is available in various flavors- such as fruit punch, banana, and peach. It also has jelly and sparkly versions.
It is marketed in the Western supermarkets as Calpico due to its weird sounding name.
Melon Creamy Soda
This Japanese creamy soda drink comes in a neon green bottle with the word "Tasty" written over it, on a pink, oval background.
This soda is definitely delectable, although it may initially come off as a little too sweet. It starts off with a strange, bubble-gum-like flavor. The creamy texture of this drink is very fascinating, which probably comes from the skimmed milk that is added to the drink right after the corn syrup with high fructose content.
This drink is certainly refreshing, with a unique flavor profile and an unusual creaminess. It is a popular dessert among kids and adults in Japan, available is a melon float- in which a mound of an ice-cream- usually Vanilla is added to the Melon Soda. Melon cream soda and melon float sodas are also available. If you are looking for a refreshment which is sweet and creamy, with a distinct flavor profile, this drink would not disappoint you!
Ramune
Ramune is known for its unique glass bottle, which is sealed with a marble. In the space between the nutrition facts and the bar-code, there is a small print in English, that reads, " Drink For Entertainment". Well, with the exclusive, unique bottle design, and the pocket monsters embellished on the multicolored bottle background, this is just the beginning of the fun!
This bottle is opened with a plastic device, which is included with the bottle, to pop the sealed marble into it. This marble creates a rattling and clinking sound each time you take a sip- which is a constant source of fun and excitement. However, the flavor of the soda is boring- like a more frizzy version of Sprite- it has a sweet taste with a citrusy twist. Other than that, the flavor is pretty plain.
This Japanese Drink is a must try for enjoying the unique bottle- even though the soda itself does not live up to the standards of the bottle!
Amazake
Amazake is a traditional Japanese drink, which dates back to the Kofun Period, between 250 A.D. to 530 A.D.
It is made with fermented rice and a low alcohol content. Koji Mold, which is added to this drink, makes it naturally sweet to taste. Over a long period of time, the Japanese have made this beverage with a lot of variations, including one drink with zero alcohol content.
In the Japanese Culture, this drink is considered to be extremely nutritious and is widely consumed as a salad dressing, a sweetener, a dessert, and even as a snack or a smoothie. It is also used as baby food. For all its goodness and nutritious value, this Japanese drink is a must try!
Genmaicha
Often called as "people's" tea, this Japanese drink is made with roasted brown rice and Japanese green tea. It was initially consumed only by the poor, as it was available at a cheap price and was called "People's Tea" back then. Nowadays, it's refreshing, mild flavor is enjoyed all across Japan!
It often happens that the rice grains pop up like corn kernels while roasting them, making the tea appear to have popcorns in it, thus giving it the name "Popcorn Tea".
Sakura Tea
This tea, traditionally served at weddings, is infused with pickled cherry blossom flavor. Cherry Blossoms are pickled in a mixture of salt and plum vinegar, and then dried. These dried cherry blossoms are sealed in tea bags. When these tea bags are added to boiling water, the water gets infused with the sweet cherry blossom flavor with a mild saltiness.
This Japanese Drink is unique to the Japanese tradition, definitely worth a try!