"The Flavor Was Unlike Anything I'd Ever Tried Before": Americans Are Sharing The Common Drinks In Other Countries That Are Nearly Impossible To Replicate In The States, And I'm Drooling
"When I lived in Turkey, we were driving across the country and saw a tent on the side of the road under some shady trees near a river. Suspended from the tent was a wooden barrel hung sideways with a spigot, and every now and then, the woman would move it back and forth to shake the barrel. We stopped over, and she opened the spigot and poured us a glass of some of the best ayran I've ever tasted!"
Traveling is an amazing experience because you get to learn about different cultures, partake in different ways of life, and taste a variety of fascinating foods and flavors. But when redditor u/Safe-Caterpillar-256 asked the people of r/travel to share which drinks from their travels have been the most memorable, that got me thinking: Drinks deserve the limelight, too.
So, whether you're in the midst of a trip, planning on taking a trip, or just want to add to your taste test bucket list, here are drinks from around the globe that people fell completely in love with:
1. Morir Soñando — A classic Dominican drink that combines evaporated milk and orange juice:
2. Chocolate Caliente — Spain's take on hot chocolate uses a pinch of cayenne and a dash of cornstarch to create a rich, thick, and cozy drink:
3. Cà Phê Trúng — This staple drink from Vietnam is also known as egg coffee. It's made by stirring an egg yolk with condensed milk until it creates a fluffy, meringue-like consistency, and added to a beautiful, steaming cup of coffee:
4. Pandan Juice — A tropical plant primarily cultivated in Southeast Asia, also tremendously popular in the Philippines, the pandan plant's leaves are used to flavor many desserts and drinks due to its mildly grassy flavor paired with notes of coconut, vanilla, and almond:
5. Horchata de Chufa — Mexico's horchata is extremely popular, but Spain's version of horchata (which is actually the original version) is made with tiger nuts instead of rice to create a tasty and refreshing concoction:
6. Bissap — This West African drink is a spiced tea made out of dried hibiscus flowers. The sweet drink is a beautiful shade between deep red and purple, and it's also super easy to modify the drink to create different flavors:
7. Hong Kong-Style Milk Tea — Often referred to as "bubble tea" or just "boba," milk tea drinks have gotten increasingly popular worldwide, but Hong Kong-style milk tea is a class of its own thanks to its mix of different black teas and evaporated milk:
8. Inca Kola — Created in Peru, this is a signature soft drink due to its sweet and fruity flavor that tastes similar to bubblegum:
9. Ayran — A popular Turkish drink packed with probiotics thanks to its blend of yogurt, water, and salt:
10. Limonada de Coco — This Colombian drink, which is especially popular along the coast, is a fresh and creamy refresher made out of lime juice, coconut milk, and sugar:
11. Blueberry Juice — Finland is known for northern lights, reindeer, and...blueberries? Finland's airline, Finnair, began serving blueberry juice in-flight (and now in grocery stores), and it might even be more popular than the meatballs:
12. Karak Chai — Roughly translating to "strong tea," karak chai is an Indian masala black tea that's widely popular in the Middle East that's made with a blend of aromatic spices and evaporated milk:
13. Atay Bi Na'na — A signature drink in Morocco, this mint tea is made with loose Gunpowder green tea, mint leaves, and sugar:
14. Agua Fresca — These extremely popular and thirst-quenching drinks from Mexico are super versatile and can be made with almost any fresh fruit (and sometimes even veggies):
15. Mango Lassi — This well-known drink from India is the perfect drink for when you have a sweet tooth thanks to its blend of mango, yogurt, milk, and just a hint of cardamom:
16. Lulada — Made with naranjilla, also called lulo, lulada is an extremely popular drink in Ecuador and other Latin American countries that combines lime juice, sugar, and mashed lulo:
17. Lastly: Chicha Morada — An iconic Peruvian drink, chicha morada gets its sultry, deep color from the main ingredient, purple corn:
I don't know about you guys, but I feel the extreme urge to go get some boba now (sadly, not from Hong Kong). Do you have any drinks that you became totally obsessed with during your travels? Do you have any recipes or drinks from your culture you recommend trying? Let me know in the comments! Cheers!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.