Drinks

Here are some of the different drinks I've encountered here thus far...

I've already told you about Chilsung Cider which basically tastes pretty close to Sprite or 7up.

I've tried many of the iced teas they sell in convenient stores here and they taste nothing like in the US, mainly because they are usually unsweetened and are very bitter. I did find one that was sweetened this weekend but it had the strangest flavor. I can pin point exactly what it tasted like though: water flavored with shredded wheat.

They also have these rice milk drinks here that are sweetened - they are quite good. They kind of taste like the milk in your cereal after the cereal is gone.

Coke here tastes the same (yay!) which is a relief because in many countries Coke tastes different based on the tastes of the culture.

Coffee is extremely popular here! There are coffee houses everywhere. I saw many Starbucks in Seoul as well as many other non-US places. There is actually a French coffee house/bakery a few blocks away from my apt. And of course there is a Dunkin Donuts here as well. As far as drinking coffee at a party or church or work, instant coffee comes in these little, individually wrapped tube-like packages. And the cream and sugar is already added (powdered cream of course) - I tried it and its actually a good flavor if you like cream & sugar in your coffee, which I do. Also, those coffee/tea vending machines where you can get hot drinks are all over in malls, subways stations, big stores, etc.

One of my favorite drinks I've tried so far is pomegranate juice! It comes in a little glass bottle and its really good - tastes kind of like cranberry/apple juice. I did a little research and learned that pomegranate juice is especially popular in the Middle East. It has tremendous nutritional benefits as well: One 8.45 oz glass of pomegranate juice provides approximately 50% of an adult's recommended daily allowance of vitamins A, C, and E. Pomegranate juice also provides 100% of an adult's recommended daily allowance of folic acid and potassium. Also, some studies have indicated that pomegranate juice can clear your arteries, and reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol (taken from Wikipedia - where else??).

I have not yet tried any alcoholic drinks here. It's not as big a deal here that I'm 21 since the legal drinking age is 20. But, interestingly enough, they sell beers in every convenience store right next to coke, iced tea, and milk. There are several US brands of beer in the convenience store in my building including including Heineken. There are also little bottles of vodka and other drinks. Soju (made of rice) is the big drink here and I have not tried it yet but I hear its effects are downright evil so I'm not real anxious to go there just yet. It will have to be the right time with the right group of people.

Korean Beers which you can buy at any convenient store