You know that feeling when you drink a cola? It refreshes your palate and lifts your mood, so you end up grabbing one without a second thought.
Waking up with a cola, drinking one while working, or having one after a bath—everyone has probably done this at least once.
But cola contains a lot of sugar and caffeine, which, like energy drinks, can be very dangerous if you drink too much.
Wouldn't it be great to have a healthy cola you could drink without worrying? Well, such a convenient cola actually exists!
"umami cola," a pure craft cola and natural energy drink released by UMAMI COLA Co., Ltd., has the concept of "Easy! Delicious! Healthy!"
But the thought that crosses my mind is, "
According to UMAMI COLA, their product is designed to overturn the conventional idea of soft drinks, with a new flavor you've never experienced before and stylish packaging.
It would be rude not to try something that makes such bold claims!
You can never have too many healthy things, after all. So, let's get on with the review!
The Ingredients Tell a Story of Surprisingly Healthy Components
The packaging is pink with a retro-style font.
From the outside, it's so stylish you wouldn't even guess it's a cola...
Now that I've seen the packaging, let's check the ingredients and nutrition facts of this craft cola that's said to be the healthiest in the world!
Per 100g of umami cola...
Nutrition Facts
- Energy: 40 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 9.6 g
- Protein: 0.28 g
- Salt equivalent: 0.01 g
- Fat: 0.05 g
Ingredients
- Amazake (rice koji (domestically produced non-glutinous rice)
- Sugarcane sugar (from Ishigaki Island)
- Okinawan Citrus depressa (from Okinawa)
- Rice syrup (domestically produced)
- Golden ginger (from Kochi)
- Yuzu (from Wakayama)
- Hibiscus
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Elderflower
- Clove
- Sichuan pepper
- Tulsi
- Coriander
- Anise seed
- Chili pepper
- Carbonated water
The main ingredient is amazake!?
There are two types of amazake: those made only with "rice koji" and "water," and those made with "koji," "rice," and "water." Amazake is what you get when you dilute amazake base with water.
Amazake made only with "rice koji" and "water" is called haya-zukuri (fast production) and is appealing for its ability to let you enjoy the original flavor, aroma, and sweetness of the koji.
Amazake made with "rice koji," "rice," and "water" is called usu-zukuri (thin production) and offers excellent cost performance.
UMAMI COLA's amazake base is made only with "rice koji," carefully crafted by kurabito (sake brewery workers), and the "extremely soft water" from the Hakkaisan water system.
Because it draws out the gentle sweetness from the rice, you can enjoy a delicious taste that is also good for your body.
(Translated from Japanese)
umami cola Official Website
You can really feel the dedication.
Is this a cola-flavored amazake? But amazake has a unique aroma and drinking texture that seems like it would be overwhelming...
Also, a lot of the other ingredients give off a strong Okinawan vibe.
Do they get the sweetness from sugarcane and the refreshing taste from Citrus depressa?
While I have many questions, the most intriguing ingredients are golden ginger and Sichuan pepper!
"Isn't this just a recipe for a dish!?"
is the retort that came to mind, as those words are so far removed from the image of cola.
The ingredients listed certainly seem healthy, but they all have a unique flavor .
What kind of twist will they have this time? My expectations are high!
It's Upside Down!
"Is this a mistake? The label is upside down... wait, they all are!?"
That was my first thought when I saw the label.
It turns out there's a good reason for the upside-down design.
"UMAMI COLA" uses natural ingredients as-is, so it contains spice grains, grated ginger, rice koji, and more.
As a result, if left for a long time, these ingredients will settle at the bottom, and you have to shake the can to mix it up for a delicious drink.
So, by making the can upside down from the start, when you flip it to drink, it naturally gets mixed up.
(Translated from Japanese)
PR TIMES
What an interesting idea!
It overturns conventional wisdom and really makes you realize just how rich in ingredients it is.
Also, having a different action to open the can than usual adds a fresh sense of excitement and anticipation.
Fssshh! That Familiar Scent Bursts Forth!
When I opened the can, I was met with the tangy smell of Sichuan pepper! After the spicy aroma, the sweet smell of cola came through.
In fact, the pungent scent of Sichuan pepper seemed to give the cola smell more depth.
The aroma was more like a typical cola than I expected, but I could also faintly detect a foreign-like flavor.
It's as if Tom is waving at me from a distance.
The aroma is so natural that I could keep smelling it, but overseas colas don't suit everyone's taste, so I was a little hesitant to drink it.
Gulp! This is...!
It's more fizzy and refreshing than I expected!
I thought it would feel heavy because of the sediment, but it defied my expectations in a good way!
It tastes a bit different from foreign colas and seems to suit Japanese preferences, but the spicy flavor that comes through as you drink it is so new!
As I continued to drink, wondering where the sediment went, the flavor got richer, and the impression I had at the beginning was completely different from the end.
By the end, the flavor had become more concentrated, and it felt like the gentle sweetness of sugarcane had been added!
This sweetness from the sugarcane feels like it's only the good parts, with almost no overpowering flavor!
"UMAMI COLA" Is Now on Sale!
The spicy aroma of Sichuan pepper and ginger is addictive!
What's more, it's caffeine-free and contains essential amino acids, so it's great that you can drink it in any situation.
If you like spicy ginger ale, you'll definitely love this.
I've been drinking "UMAMI COLA" every day since I first tried it.
UMAMI COLA is now on sale at the official online store and other retailers.
Why not try "UMAMI COLA," which uses healthy ingredients like spices and amazake, which is sometimes called a drinkable IV drip?
For more details, check out the umami cola official website or the umami cola official X (@UMAMICOLA).
本能にブッ刺さる！！
umami COLA絶賛好評発売中
— UMAMI COLA【公式】（ピュアクラフトコーラ×エナジードリンク） (@UMAMICOLA) August 1, 2024
