MAYrathon 2.0 Day 5 - Tamarind Sparkling Drink

Happy Mexican St. Patrick's Day everyone! At the risk of sounding racist - Mexican folks LOVE tamarind. Asians have dog, White people have mayo and cheese sandwiches and Mexicans have spicy foods and tamarind. Spicy Mexican tamarind candy is a favorite treat in school lunches and the tamarind flavor by the Jarritos beverage company is arguably their most popular. But what even is a tamarind? Why is it so popular? Why am I using it as a lame tie-in with Cinco De Mayo even though today's beverage is from Lebanon? Why am I so handsome? MOST of these questions will be answered after today's commercial break:

And we're back. You may remember my Pulitzer prize winning article last December about Christmas in Lebanon where I drank some pomegranate soda from the Kazouza company. Well, I also bought this tamarind soda from the same place and forgot about it for a half year. So why not try it now? So while tamarind is produced mainly in Indian and Asian countries, it is extremely popular in Mexico and is often mixed with salty or spicy flavorings in candy, smoothies or alcoholic beverages. The pod-like plant is known to be very potent and sour on its own and is rarely eaten straight up. Fun fact - it's also one of the secret ingredients in Worcestershire sauce. Not as polarizing as stupid marmite, but it is definitely a fruit that some people love while others simply avoid it at all costs. While I've had the Mexican tamarind candy before, I've never tried Jarritos tamarind soda, Jumex's tamarind nectar or heck, even a tamarind on its own. So what better what to try this elusive fruit that from a carbonated bottle of expired cane sugar and citric acid from Lebanon!

It's a small, nine ounce glass bottle and upon popping the top, there appears to be very little carbonation. It doesn't smell like much of anything, and I obviously have noting to compare it to, so let's just get to the taste. It's alright. Sugary. Syrupy. Sweet. I really should have tried a tamarind first so that I could compare flavors, but it's definitely unlike any other fruit flavored soda I've ever tasted before. If anything, it's a mix between cherry cola and root beer. Not terrible. Well, I'm off to polish off a pallet full of Coronas. Adios!