Ringo Tsukushi – Asahi Apple Juice
Here’s another new apple drink on sale. Apples is the Japanese autumn fruit above all and every year there’s just more and more apple drinks out there. It seems that the product turnover rate is going faster and faster in Japan. Every brand has about 10% classic products on sale all year around, the core line up while 90% of their products are one off or limited time offers. I guess this works as I myself is the proof. I’m what you call a “Shinhatsubai Baka”, a fool for new products. I’ll try most new drinks once at least! This apple juice contains a fair amount of apple pulp according to the label, and was quite alright, taste wise. Asahi isn’t really famous for soft drinks, so I wasn’t expecting much. More interesting than the drink itself is the package design, a tall can with a proper screw top which is easier to keep and easier to drink from than the normal pull tap cans. The metal itself has been coated matte to make for a more pleasant tactile experience. It feels nice to touch. More soft drinks coming up!
And here’s some trivia for you: according to Japanese law you can’t put an image of cut fruit or dripping fruit juice on the label if it contains less than 100% real fruit juice. So if you are ever in Japan and want a rich fruit juice drink at a convenience store or super market, always go for the labels that show cut fruit. Anything less and you might end up with one of the fruit water drinks that are usually 1% real fruit juice. Incidentally, the Ringo Tsukushi in this post, is only 32% fruit juice so it can show an apple but not an apple cut open or pressed. I think it’s a good law.
This must be a really good stuff to make you want to blog in the middle of the night! It indeed is a practical regulation about the pictures on the label. I want to know what does “uragoshi mizore” apple juice taste like. But what on earth does 32% mean? What’s the significance of the 2%?
Haha… well, it was the weekend and I was up late, too late! I prefer to be in bed before midnight, which is one reason you never hear the usual wild party stories of other foreigner blogs on Tokyobling. Once the clock hits 12 I’m usually a walking dead man. I guess the 32% is because it is actually 32% fruit juice, not more, not less. Uragoshi is a strainer, and mizore is sleet. I have no idea how those two words put together can even remotely have anything to do with beverages, but the Japanese love to invent new culinary terms! (^-^)
Wow, interesting law, but really convenient! And of course, want to try:D But for now I will just make some apple-chips!
I tried making apple chips once but it didn’t work for me. I need to learn from the expert, Timi! (^-^)