Thursday, June 14, 2007


MEGATERIYAKI REPELLENT?


While I'm on the subject of aggressive food, thought I'd take a brief tangent into the flavor lab of Dr. Bizarro and mention the cucumber soda that's coming out, here in Japan only, for this summer only. Pity for you folks living abroad and in other seasons.

You'd have to go a long way in my brain - assuming there's any traversable distance in there at all - before you might stumble across a couple of meme fragments you could cobble together into something resembling the idea of a cucumber-flavored soft drink. In fact I think you'd only find it outside my brain, and perhaps only in the brain of a Pepsi exec. It's one of them who came up with liquid cucumber in a PET bottle as a cool concept for a summer drink. My personal feeling is that cucumbers should flavor themselves and little else. But this is big biz, big test marketing and lots of press action, though mostly on the Huh?? end of the spectrum.

In keeping with the genuineness of the times there is no actual cucumber in the drink, or even cucumber coloring, it's completely artificial, except maybe for the water, but even that, who knows. Perhaps it could be used to fend off an attacking Megateriyaki.

I think I'll have try one though, just to rein in the restless edges of my disbelief. Besides, the chance may never come again. But I'll be very impressed if I'm even slightly delighted.


5 comments:

Joy Des Jardins said...

Well now, that's different. I can't quite fathom the connection; but I hope you get a chance to check it out Bob, and let us know what you think.

Maya's Granny said...

It could actually work out -- I tried peanut butter soup because it fascinated me in an odd, beer milkshake kind of way, and I love it.

Pam said...

Some folks over at Japan Probe have already braved it and, of course, videotaped their reactions and posted them on YouTube.
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1998
Not only is this a world with Ice Cucmber Pepsi. It's a world where we can watch people drink it and react half a world away. Incredible.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I would have never "thunk" it. Not Pepsi. Not cucumber Pepsi. Not.

I don't drink much pop at all; so, I don't think I'll worry with missing out on this; however, I would like for you to tell us what you think when you try it. My curiosity will get the best of me, if I don't know...

Anonymous said...

I tried some of this the other day. I didn't care for it at all. I thought it did resemble cucumber very slightly - in that it didn't really refresh, left a sticky sensation in the mouth post-sip, and created a deeper thirst than was there before..