Shiso Pepsi and Green Tea Coke

[The Nid Hog]

I was in a Japanese supermarket yesterday and I saw bottles of new flavored sodas. One is Shiso Pepsi--supposedly standard Pepsi flavored with the shiso leaf. If you're a sushi aficionado, you'll know what shiso is. It has a flavor something like basil and an equally distinct smell.

Why add shiso, you might ask? It's been added to other drinks in Japan for a while now. Maybe ten years ago I had a bottle of Japanese red wine made by Mercian that had been fortified with the addition of some shiso (along with the usual embalming fluid or dry cleaning solvent). In fact, I thought that it tasted better than the typical Mercian red, which is not something that I would otherwise recommend for internal consumption.

Shiso Pepsi looks more like Mountain Dew than a cola. Greenish yellow, luminous and sparkling. The scent of shiso is quite distinct when you open the bottle. The drink itself tastes surprisingly good, and the shiso flavor was pleasant and refreshing on a hot day. I'm a believer.

I haven't tried the other soda yet--Green Tea Coke. It's a zero calorie drink, so we'll see how well the marriage of Diet Coke and macha works out.

 

[mretzloff]

Just for clarification, this Japanese market was in the US, correct?

 

[thunderball]

Just for clarification, this Japanese market was in the US, correct?

I think our friend Nid Hog is over here in the Land of the Rising Sun as we speak...I'm going to have to go check this stuff out...I love shiso anything!

 

[SRock]

I'm going to have to go check this stuff out...I love shiso anything!

+1 I'll have to BOLO.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Just for clarification, this Japanese market was in the US, correct?

Nope--I'm in the pastoral suburbs of Tokyo.

 

[Nishnabotna]

I'd hit that.

 

[nikkuchan]

Shiso Pepsi? Oh my! I can't stand shiso as is it. It tastes like something not meant to be consumed by humans.

 

[SRock]

I bought a bottle of the Shiso Pepsi today at one of the many local Lawson's convenience stores here in town. I like the taste, but I don't care for the aftertaste. I may or may not buy another bottle. I haven't seen the Green Tea Coke, but I'll probably skip that one. I like Green Tea, but I don't normally go for other things that are Green Tea flavored.

BTW, if you ever stop in a Mister Donut, skip the Green Tea Doughnuts!

 

[The Nid Hog]

I tried another bottle of the Green Tea Coke yesterday. I have to say that I don't really get any tea taste at all. To me, it tastes like Diet Coke with a little bit of something else in the aftertaste. Not repellent, but not that great either.

On the other hand, the Shiso Pepsi is a keeper. Maybe they can introduce a variant in the US--Pesto Pepsi anyone?

 

[SRock]

I tried another bottle of the Green Tea Coke yesterday. I have to say that I don't really get any tea taste at all. To me, it tastes like Diet Coke with a little bit of something else in the aftertaste. Not repellent, but not that great either.

On the other hand, the Shiso Pepsi is a keeper. Maybe they can introduce a variant in the US--Pesto Pepsi anyone?

The aftertaste of the Shiso Pepsi doesn't bother you?

 

[The Nid Hog]

The aftertaste of the Shiso Pepsi doesn't bother you?

That's a hard question. I like the taste of Coke, so Cherry Coke is another good taste added to something I already enjoy. But Shiso Pepsi is a little different. It's the weird blend of flavors that I enjoy. I don't think that the aftertaste is all that unpleasant and I'm kind of a fan of things that have shiso added to them. Like I said in my first post, I like shiso wine too. Not because Mercian makes such fantastic wine and shiso adds that special something to it. I guess it's because I can't imagine what was going through the minds of the people at Mercian when they decided to put shiso in the wine. "Hey, you know what would make this better? Some shiso! One of you guys run over to the market and get some!" It would be like making the perfect chocolate chip cookie then deciding that it would be better if you added sausage to it. I guess that all of this is a round about way of answering your question. I like the shiso, but maybe not for the best of reasons.

 

[SRock]