Hakkaisan Amazake Sweet Rice Drink: I purchased this fermented rice drink (that's from Japan) at The Market in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. While Amazake is generally a sweet sake, this drink is alcohol-free. Koji rice, the basis of this drink, is rice that has been affected with a fungus named Aspergillus oryzae that's commonly used for making familiar ingredients like soy sauce and bean paste. The drink is kept frozen for freshness and needs to be defrosted before consuming. It has a thick milky consistency and a distinct whi... (read more) 3.5/5.0
japanese japan rice drinks koji hakkaisan amazake sweet drink 3.5
Cheng Kang Rare Soybean Drink: I'm not sure what makes it rare, but I recently discovered that Asian grocery stores stock several brands of "rare soybean" soymilk. This one is from Taiwan, and I purchased it at Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown. I thought the bean flavor of the drink was very familiar and overall ok, but it was heavily sweetened, so I wouldn't get it again. 2.5/5.0
drinks chinatown hongkongsupermarket chengkang rare soybean drink 2.5
Yi Fang Grass Jelly Drink: Purchased at the Taiwanese fruit tea chain Yi Fang in Chinatown. A classic Chinese drink, grass jelly has a slightly medicinal taste but rich sweetness reminiscent of molasses. This version from Yi Fang is much better than the canned grass jelly herbal tea that I resort to once in a while when I'm craving this taste from my childhood. Their grass jelly, which surprisingly is not included as part of the drink already, is also satisfyingly gelatinous - not too firm or soft, and fully flavored... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended chinatown nyc taiwanese yifang grass jelly drink 3.5
Casamara Club Sera sparkling amaro soft drink: Got this can of soda from Petra in Bushwick. It tastes like someone took the traditional elements of a cola (allspice, cinnamon, and citrus like lemon, orange, and grapefruit) and removed all of the sugar (the entire bottle has 4g of sugar). Quite a medicinal flavor that I would imagine only adults could enjoy. I didn't think it was bad for what it was, but it also wasn't a drink I would ever reach for. 3.0/5.0
drinks soda cola sera sparkling amaro soft drink 3.0 casamaraclub
Almond Dream Pumpkin spice almond drink with cinnamon: Purchased from Whole Foods, I was hopeful about this seasonal pumpkin spice almond drink, but it became immediately obvious upon tasting that this is meant as a flavoring for coffee or other beverages, rather than something desirable to drink on its own. I tried adding it to chia seed pudding and even to oatmeal, but the flavoring just made me want to eat those things even less. Too sweet and artificial tasting. 2.0/5.0
drinks whole foods almondmilk pumpkin pumokinspice almonddream spice almond drink cinnamon 2.0
Calpico White peach drink: As a kid, I used to drink Calpico when visiting family in Taiwan. A Japanese “soft drink,” Calpico has a milky-white color but is much thinner in consistency. I remember it being very sweet but probably haven’t had it in over a decade until I came across this white peach flavor. My memory ended up being pretty accurate, though, as the drink was far too sweet and tasted like liquid peach gummies. It’s hard to imagine a situation when it would be desirable to drink this. 2.0/5.0
drinks japanese calpico white peach drink 2.0