Liberdade’s Favorite Drinks, Influenced by Japanese Anime and Korean Soap Operas

Tea with exploding balls in your mouth, blue soda and cheese soda are on the list of popular drinks in the Eastern Quarter

Walking through the markets of Liberdade, the number of beverage labels on the shelves in the streets and in the refrigerators is impressive. Cans of soft drinks, juices, teas or yogurt-based drinks are among the most consumed items by the young people who frequent the neighborhood.

The influence on consumption comes from Japanese anime and Korean soap operas. Labels with images of characters like Naruto, Ultraman and Pikachu are among the best sellers. It doesn’t matter what fruit flavor each one represents. Recently, a craze called bottled yogurt has hit neighborhood stores. A vendor at Kazu Doces market explains the concept of the original Chinese drink: strawberry, mango and traditional flavored yogurt served in a glass bottle with a nipple identical to those used by babies, but consumed by young people of all ages. It sold so well that the product was sold out on the day this report was written.

Another popular drink in the neighborhood is the cheese-flavored soda with sea salt, which is also sold out on the market. The top 10 most consumed drinks by the young people who massively occupy the streets of Liberdade also include teas with balls that explode in the mouth, radioactive colored sodas with flavors of blueberry, melon and strawberry; yogurt-based drinks, such as the famous Calpis; fruit juices with coconut cream squares; aloe vera juice; coconut drink sold in cups with lids; Blue Fanta jasmine and peach flavor; rice drink, as well as a multitude of flavored waters, such as watermelon flavor.

Videos posted on Tik Tok are great at spreading fads that lead to mass consumption of certain products found on the neighborhood shelves, such as the different drinks listed in this article. But the natural enthusiasm of young people, who have dominated the neighborhood audience for several years now, is reason enough to increase sales, whether they are drinks, chocolates, sweets, ice cream or candy. “About 7,000 people pass through just one of the Liberdade markets on a single Saturday,” says Elizabeth Itani, head of imports for the Marukai group, which includes markets, restaurants and the largest café in the Liberdade neighborhood.

In addition to flavors and labels, another common attraction for soft drinks, juices, teas and beverages produced in Japan, China and Korea is the fact that they are very smooth and thirst-quenching drinks, without the addition of thickeners to make the drink creamy, as is common in products such as chocolate milk and even in some national juices. In addition to the element of surprise, of course, that of being able to savor new flavors that still promote unique sensory experiences.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.