The Twelve Days of POPmas Day 1: Soursop Juice Drink

Well it's that time a year again. There's snow on the ground. It's 7 degrees outside. And the jingle bells mix ever so nicely with the sound of holiday shoppers honking their horns. It's Christmas time! And once again, I am revisiting the Twelve Days of POPmas, trying random sodas and juices one a day leading up to Christmas. But this year there's a twist. Each day I'll be trying a beverage from another country and learning what that particular country does to celebrate Christmas. We'll have a few laughs (very few) and maybe even learn something too (doubtful). So let's kick things off with Indonesia's very own Soursop Juice Beverage.

Quick! Find Indonesia on a map! I'm just kidding, no one knows where it is. Probably
like next to Canada or something. But do they celebrate Christmas? Well...sort of. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world (not Canada?), but 10% of their people are of Christian faith. And the other 90% were so jealous of how awesome Christmas is that they pretty much adopted the holiday as their own. While they are not as in tune with the religious aspects of the holiday, they love the songs, cookies and trees; a traditional Indonesian Christmas tree will consist of plastic, wood, various household items and even chicken feathers. It's not uncommon to turn on the TV and see American holiday specials being played around the clock. So the next time your in Indonesia (probably by Kentucky), be sure to wish them a Salamat Natal!

So I have never heard of a soursop in my life. Luckily the bottle, which came dented, has a whole paragraph of information on it. Let's take a read:

Pictured: The "World Famous" Lake Toba

Soursop is an exotic tropical fruit also known as guanabana or graviola. Fresh soursop is known as a good source of potassium, daily fiber and vitamin C. Our soursops are grown and cultivated at Karo region near the world famous Lake Toba. Its white pulp is soft, smooth, sweet and has a unique aromatic flavor. 


This one has been sitting on my shelf for almost a year, but I'm sure I won't die. It says to shake well, but the bottle is so full that I can't shake it at all, but I'm sure I won't die. Fresh soursop is the main ingredient besides filtered water, so this is the real deal, folks. Let's twist it open and give it a sniff... It's vaguely tropical but mostly tastes like nothing. Taste time...There's soursop pulp in there to make it authentic. I get where the name comes from: it almost tastes like you're drinking spoiled milk at first, but then it suddenly turns into a guava/pineapple concoction. There's a lot of settlement on the bottom, so I don't know if I'm getting the true taste, but it's not bad. It's like a naturally sour yet fresh fruit. I'd call this a home run for my first outing. Thanks Indonesia (probably near Russia)! Four out of Five Rudolph Noses.

White fruit = dirt brown drink?