Asahi Mitsuya Cider Lemon Burst Zero 三ツ矢サイダー レモンはじける・カロリーゼロ

I'm not usually a fan of diet sodas, mainly because I don't like the taste of artificial sweeteners. But that all changed once I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and majorly limited what beverages I can drink. These days it's a choice of water, milk, diet soda, or juice which is severely watered down.

So when browsing in Nippon Food Supplies I came across this bottle of Mitsuya Cider Zero. The label states that it has zero calories, but it has 175.5kj and 11 grams of carbohydrate. It seems moderately ok, even for me having to watch my carbs, it's still under one serve. Surprisingly this drink has the same amount of calories and carbohydrates as the original Mitsuya Cider which doesn't claim to be low in calories. Strange?

 

Lemon Burst (known as Lemon Hajikeru on the label) is quite fizzy when first poured out into a glass. It smells quite lemony too, but more like a dish washing liquid than a soda! The first sip is really tart, the lemon is just so strong and overpowering and kind of burns the back of my throat. I can really taste the artificial sweetener in here, but maybe that's because I'm not used to it, however I just can't get over that taste and it's somewhat chemical.

I found this to be really harsh on the tastebuds. It's quite fizzy and the lemon is just so strong and sour, even though it's only 1% juice. I can't say that I would buy this again, even though it's meant to be reduced calories. I think I'd rather stick with juice and water! I seriously wouldn't recommend it unless you love sour, fizzy, burn-your-throat-out beverages. I don't think it's worth it.

Brand: Asahi Calories per bottle: 175.5 Website: http://www.asahiinryo.co.jp/products/carbonated/mitsuya_hajikeru_lemon/

Sapporo Melon Cream Soda メロンクリームソーダ

The first night I came to Japan, we went to KFC for dinner. Imagine my surprise when I ordered a set and was offered melon cream soda as a possible drink choice! I accepted, and it was really yum. Other options were Qoo, Pepsi, or Fanta.

I bought this bottle of Sapporo Melon Cream Soda at Jusco supermarket, it was the first time I had seen a bottle of melon soda in Japan not at a restaurant.

The colour of the soda is an amazing melon-green colour and the front of the bottle has a scoop of icecream on top of what is supposed to be melon soda. It's quite cute.

So this bottle has been in the fridge for the last week because I really haven't felt in the mood to drink it, with so many other drink options available. Cue today when I am packing to go to Hokkaido and remember that I have a soda in the fridge.

The first sip is a let-down and I know this is not going to be as good as the one I got in my meal set at KFC. The overall flavour is lime. It tastes like lime cordial or squash (those concentrates you mix with water), and kind of like the aftertaste of eating icecream. It is not overly sweet, but the aftertaste really makes me thirsty.

There is no melon taste at all to this drink, and a mild cream soda flavour. On closer inspection of the ingredients, melon is not listed at all, only grape extract, milk, flavouring and colouring.

I did the right thing in ignoring this drink, and should have kept on ignoring it! It is truly yuck and I wouldn't buy it again. I would love to know what brand of melon soda they sell at KFC, if anyone knows, please enlighten me.

Sangaria Muscat Soda

Muscat is a type of grape that is widely grown for wine, raisins and for the table. The colour ranges from white, to light green, and black. Despite not being grown in Japan they are a popular ingredient in beverages and candy.

This bottle of Muscat Soda by Sangaria has been in my fridge for the better part of a month. The weather has been quite cold here in Perth and I really didn't feel like having a cold soda, so I left it sitting there. Today I thought I would brave the cold for a taste of something a little different.

I myself, am quite a fan of Muscat, and discovered it only the first time I went to Japan in 2004. Before that I had no idea about Muscat existing, and only now in Australia, is it starting to become popular.

The colour of the soda is a light green colour and the scent is truly Muscat. When poured it was quite fizzy, and still maintained that fizz up to 20 minutes later. The first taste is a slight Muscat flavour, followed by a crisp almost bitter taste of alcohol. Though there is no alcohol present, Yasu and I both thought this tasted like a light, sparkling wine. The colour and fizz could also pass for one.



The soda is not overly sweet, and the Muscat is not overpowing, but mixed in with the crispness of the grape taste. I don't drink alot of alcohol, so I would definitely think of taking this to my next outing with adults, since my friends can't read Japanese, they wouldn't know it was only soda!

If you happen to see this around, I recommend you try it out. It truly is a nice foray into Japanese beverages, and something a little bit different from the average soda.