The Many Soda Flavors of Asia

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

I’m addicted to pop. No matter how many times I tell the world I’m quitting it, I’m back to drinking the stuff the next day. I’ve written articles about it, and I’ve posted on Facebook about my addiction. Writing doesn’t seem to help motivate me into quitting the stuff.

One of the biggest reasons for that is every month, it seems, there’s a new flavor. Every time I say, “I’m done!” there’s a new one I need to try. Maybe when I’m back in the States it’ll be easier to quit. But for now, I might as well have fun with all these new flavors.

What’s so special about pop in China?

Regular Coke, Coke Zero, Coke with Fiber, Sprite with Fiber, Sprite, Cucumber Sprite with Fiber, Diet Sprite, and Raspberry Pepsi

China is full of unique foods and flavored drinks. I didn’t know what lychees were until I came to Beijing, for example. It was also the first time it occurred to me yogurt could be a tasty beverage. I’ve seen lots of flavors for their own brands of pops. They could be anything from Green Apple to Banana. But the main ones I drink are the different kinds of Coke and Pepsi.

China accepts all kinds of pop. Especially Coke and Pepsi. So when I see them in the stores, I don’t just see Chinese flavors. I’ve seen flavors imported from Japan and Southeast Asia too. You never know what you’re going to get in China.

The thing about all these drinks is that they’re extremely strong. The moment you hear the sound of fizz being freed from the bottle, the smell hits first. Sometimes, it’s pleasant, like a Caramel flavored Pepsi. Other times, it’s a little too much, like a Peach flavored Coke.

And then there are the random hints of mouthwash, like mint-flavored Sprite. You gulp it down, and you feel like you're drinking an edible version of Listerene.

Coconut Flavored Sprite

The best flavor

My favorite, so far, has been Raspberry flavored Pepsi. Like a lot of the different flavors, the smell is strong, making the taste that much stronger. But this one was like drinking a Jolly Rancher. The best part about it was it was sugar-free. So I could feel like I was attempting to be somewhat healthy.

The worst flavor

Coca-Cola has this weird fascination with putting fiber in their drinks. There are Coca-Cola and Sprite. Both of these things have fiber in them. On the Coke, there was an apple on it, but it tasted nothing like an apple. That wasn’t the worst one. The worst was a cucumber-flavored Sprite with fiber. It was like drinking soda water. As you can tell, I really don’t like soda water. I don’t like cucumber either.

Which brand did it better?

For the first time ever, I preferred Pepsi over Coke. Both of the brands put enough flavoring in their drinks to make you smell them when you open the bottles.The flavors and tastes were a lot more accurate with both brands. Coke always made the flavors too strong.

Pepsi, however, made their drinks with enough flavor that it didn't overpower you. And they tasted wonderful. Unfortunately, there aren't as many flavors as Coke, so I had slim pickings with Pepsi.

Coke with Brazillian Coffee

The takeaway

Back in the States, I don't have as much luck finding some decent flavors with Pepsi and Coke. Lately, I haven't been drinking as much of the regular flavors becaue of the sugar. Every once in a while I do see a flavor that reminds of what I used to find in China, and I smile.

When it comes time to travel again, I'm going to have a fun time looking for the different flavored drinks. Every country makes pop in its own way, and you can taste the difference with each country. It'll be fun to try the different flavors once again.