Sunday

Inca Kola: Liquid Bubblegum

I remember trying Inca Kola when I visited Peru 25 years ago and being unimpressed with the sweet yellow, carbonated cola that is the Peruvian national drink. It has an unusually sweet, fruity flavor that is often compared to bubblegum. Having learned the Spanish words for bubblegum (chicle) and juice (jugo), I often said Jugo de Chicle instead of Inca Kola when talking to Peruvians, which invariably got a polite chuckle. I knew that Peruvians love it when you like their Inca Kola, but I just couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for it. Perhaps the most charitable way to describe Inca Kola is to say that it is an acquired taste.

Inca Kola was created in 1935 by José Robinson Lindley, a British immigrant who used the refreshing taste of lemon verbena to anchor the recipe and it became instantly popular. These days Inca Kola is owned by Coca-Cola, who owns the trademark everywhere but in Peru. Inca Cola and Coca-Cola run neck and neck in terms of market share in Peru with each brand capturing about a third of the soft drink market.

When our family arrived in Peru I thought that my 14-year old son and 12-year old daughter would love the bubble gum taste, despite my previous experience. For one of our first meals I ordered them each an Inca Kola and eagerly awaited their reaction. They both took a sip and put their glasses down to a chorus of “yuck.”

12 comments:

  1. I've never tried it! I've been told that it's very good. Does it have a similar taste as the Thumbs up from India?

    Cheers! :D

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  2. Ha, it is totally liquid bubblegum!

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  3. Coca cola is everywhere isn't it? if your kids don't like it then chances are I would not either.

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  4. Hi Isabel,
    As I recall, Thumbs up is like 7 up...right? If so, it does not taste like that. It tastes like carbonated, liquid bubblegum. Period.
    I'd gladly take a Thumbs Up any day.
    Thanks for commenting
    Jason

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  5. Agreed! Going to subject friends to it in November and see what they think.

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  6. India's Thums Up tastes like Coke... sort of.

    Seems every country has a food or drink only locals or long-term residents appreciate and most everyone else dislikes. Irn-Bru in Scotland, Vegemite in Australia, Brown goat cheese here in Norway, peanut butter in the USA.

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  7. Too funny! We loved "el jugo de chicle", in small doses that is. It was a great hangover cure, that's for sure.

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  8. I guess you passed on that gene to them. How nice of you to do this personal research to find that out.

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  9. I like the stuff, I admit it was sweet but it wasn't that bad. I was more disappointed with their Guarana since I was used to the Brazilian version, Guarana Antartica

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  10. I tried Inca Kola for the first time at the end of Day 3 of the 4 day Inca trail...so it tasted really refreshing to me. Then again, anything would have tasted refreshing in my tired and worn out state!

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  11. My family loves Inca Kola! It's the only carbonated liquid i drink when we are in Peru! When my husband was in Peru this year in January he bought a BIG bottle of Inca Kola home and we did notopen it until it was my birthday in june! =) //Susanne

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  12. Wow that colour looks hideous, can't imagine it's good for you? Liquid bubblegum? I'll passssss

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