Here are three new beverages for consideration in the Strange Consumables Review, all three from Trinidad. I got the kids a couple of falafel wrap combos for dinner from the Grillmaster in the Spiceland Mall, included with which were two drinks. I selected the Fruita & a Mauby Fizz. The Chubby soda came from IGA.

Fruita Pineapple Guava juice is canned by S.M. Jaleel & Company of Trinidad. It’s exactly what you think of when you think of canned fruit juice. It’s sweet (45g sugar), a little pulpy, and pretty tasty. I’m trying to cut sugars out of my diet, so it’s probably something I won’t drink again. If ever I go into diabetic shock and need a quick boost though, it’s the first thing I’d reach for. I give it a 7 of 10.

Next is the Mauby Fizz, bottled by Pepsi in Trinidad. This beverage tastes like root beer with a hint of anise and a strange, bitter aftertaste. As a beverage, Mauby Fizz didn’t impress very much. I’d have given it a 3 of 10 and called it good, but then I investigated the properties of the main ingredient: extract of mauby (colubrina arborescens). I found the usual Wikipedia entry and recipes for homemade mauby. Researchers at the University of the West Indies have discovered that mauby made with coconut water has the effect of mitigating some of the symptoms of hypertension. As a 40 year old man with a family history of hypertension, this was welcome news. I imagine just moving to Grenada will knock a couple of points off of my blood pressure, but I’ll take all the help I can get. I’ll keep my eyes open for mauby bark in the markets here, and will report back if I find any. I’m eager to taste the beverage without the pernicious influence of anise. Even with the anise, though, the purported health benefits of Mauby Fizz raise its’ profile a notch to 4 of 10.

The third bottle is another S.M. Jaleel beverage from Trinidad: Chubby Mega Star Mango soda. I gather it’s one of their most popular brands, considering it’s featured in their corporate URL ( http://www.chubbysd.com/ ). If Nehi made a mango soda, it would taste like a Chubby. No natural flavors or colors. I give Chubby soda a 2 of 10 for being cold and wet when I was hot and thirsty, even with no nutritional value.

As an aside, the food at the Grillmaster is quite good and very reasonable. We got two falafel wrap combos and an enormous portion of jerk pork with rice & peas, potatoes, and mixed veg for US$26.

(l to r) Fruita Pineapple Guava juice, Mauby Fizz, and Chubby Mega Star Mango soda

(l to r) Fruita Pineapple Guava juice, Mauby Fizz, and Chubby Mega Star Mango soda