Vinegar Drinks

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Right now, it is really hot in Shanghai. Not only are we seeking relief by coming into air conditioned homes and buildings, but we are also looking for refreshing drinks. I read recently about a Korean vinegar drink that claims it will quench thirst and refresh you. So, armed with the article, I went around to the local stores to see if I could find this stuff.

First I walked down the street, where I was sure that I had seen the packaging. I bought the pouch that is on the far left side of the photo. Turns out that this is an impostor; it is not a vinegar drink. It is instead, a very sweet grape drink that has all kinds of gelatin bits floating in it. If you remember the posts about the teas with the chunks of fun that I tried earlier this year, you will know that the gelatin in this drink is very similar. I don't really like bits in my drinks, but this was pretty good.

Not good enough however, since I wanted the vinegar drinks. I have been reading about the benefits of taking one tablespoon of vinegar , adding water and drinking it. Some say that it has the ability to assist with weight loss. I finally found the other two pouches and the bottle of what I think is like a red current vinegar ( I can't read Korean so I don't really know) at the Japanese supermarket near us. The contents of the pouch are ready for drinking, so I just had to refrigerate and wait. The pineapple drink is quite good, and the grape one is fine, but not wonderful. The real champion in the line up above though, is the bottle of the red berry vinegar. I have discovered the ratio that I like, and with additional ice in my frozen-always in the freezer-icecup, it is something to look forward to when coming out of the heat. It is slightly sweet, and of course a bit tangy and very refreshing.

I found lots of other vinegars there at the fresh mart, so I may have to go and buy a variety of them just because I can.