Archive for the ‘Drinks / Beverages’ Category

SahmYook Black Bean Calcium Soy Drink

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Samyook Black Bean Soymilk Unbelievable as though it may sound, this is the first product I remember ever trying from SahmYook Foods. Perhaps because they market primarily towards children. This 195-ml box attracted me at the supermarket because there was almost no English on it and didn’t seem to have any strategy for targeting English speakers.

,,, although you’ll notice how phonetically accurate the company transliterated its Korean name 삼육 into English. I thought it would be the typical Samyuk or Samyook. That good point in the bag, the English on their website could do with a bit of improvement. (Even the Korean page misspelled the word 검은콩 as 컴은콩.)

I don’t recall how this tasted in particular. Most Korean soy drinks are all the same to me. I suck on the straw and before you know it the tetra pak is empty, leaving me with the feeling that I’ve consumed my healthful allotment for the day and am now free to stuff my face with choco pie.

So we’ll have to go by ingredients list and nutrition facts for an evaluation. The content breakdown is provided only in hangeul. Too lazy to double-check the technical terms; don’t sue me if there’s some inaccuracy.

  • 88.1% soy liquid (imported, meaning from outside South Korea, likely China)
  • 6% liquid extract from black beans (grown in Korea)
  • 0.33% calcium carbonate
  • 0.3% sesame seeds (100% organic, from the USA)
  • all sorts of sugars, salt, sweet-potato paste, oils, vitamin D3, vitamin E, MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides), arabic gum, corn starch…

I spotted 액상과당 which could be high-fructose corn syrup. Tsk, tsk.. 고과당시럽 … So not good… I guess that’s the last time I’m buying this product.

Nutrition facts: 140 calories. 16 grams of carbohydrates, 10g from sugars. 6 grams of protein. 6 grams of fat, 2.1 g saturated. No trans fat. No cholesterol. 180 milligrams of sodium. 160 mg calcium. 1.95 micrograms of Vitamin D3, which is 39% of recommended daily allowance.

Warning: Don’t ever put the box inside a microwave oven or subject  it to intense pressure.

UPC Code: 8 801136 361292. Manufactured in Chon-an City in Chungnam Province. Consumer hotline: (080) 580-3636.

Also has an HACCP seal. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

Shake and then drink. Et cetera, et cetera 등등등…

JayOne Aloe Juice – Mango Flavor

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

In my continuing series of trying out JayOne bottled drinks, finally got around to mango flavor.

Jugo de Savila - Mango Like the pomegranate variant of aloe juice, this was very sweet. What seemed to be “bits of real aloe” were swirling around in the yellow-orange liquid.

From the label: JayOne Aloe Juice is full of real aloe vera and fruit with Vitamin B, C and Calcium. Ingredients: purified water, aloe vera gel powder, sugar, aloe vera gel, citric acid, artificial flavor, calcium lactate, gellan gum, sodium citrate, honey, vitamin c

Mmm… so instead of organic cane juice like the pomegranate version, this uses plain old sugar. Well, at least it’s not high fructose corn syrup. No honey in this mango version either. And what’s this about “artificial” flavor when the pom variant’s label says “natural” flavor…

In conclusion, if we are to trust the label’s list of ingredients, the pomegranate aloe juice seems to be more nutritious because of its use of organic cane juice, honey and natural flavor. The only thing this mango aloe juice has going for it is the addition of B vitamins and beta carotene.

The bottle also prominently features Spanish translation. Jugo de Savila – Mango. Vitamina B, C y Calcio. Ingredientes: agua purificada, gel de savila en polvo, azucar, savila gel, acido citrico, sabores artificiales, lactato de calcio, gellan de goma, citrato de sodio, concentrado de mango, vitamina C, vitamina B6, vitamina B12, beta caroteno

The only Korean was barely noticeable: 알로에 (aloe)

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size 1 cup (240 mL). 2 Servings per Container. Amount per Serving: 110 calories, none from Fat. No Saturated Fat. No Trans Fat. 25 milligrams of sodium. 27 grams Total Carbohydrates, 23 grams from Sugars, none from Dietary Fiber. No protein. *Exactly the same as the pomegranate version except for Percent Daily Values: Vitamin C 70%. Vitamin B6 100%. Vitamin B12 100%. Calcium 50%. No iron, no vitamin A.

16.9 fluid ounces (500 milliliters). UPC 6 78108 14445 4. Product of Korea / Producto de Corea. Distributed by Jayone Foods. Paramount, CA 90723. Tel: (562) 633-7400.

Refrigerate after opening. Refrigerar despues de abrir. Shake well before serving. Agitar bien antes de serve. (Is that grammatically correct?)

The man who gave me this sample said that they don’t place their products at Korean supermarkets but only at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. But I haven’t seen this at TJ’s or WFM (not that I have been looking). I have however spotted this at Gaju Market selling for around $1.49 or $1.69.

Worth tasting, that I can tell you for sure… it’s aloe vera juice!