What Exactly Is The Flavor Of Peru’s Most Popular Soda, Inca Kola?
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In the mountainous nation of Peru, there is one soda: Inca Kola. It is no exaggeration to say that the bright yellow soft drink is a cultural icon of the country. After all, it still outsells Coca-Cola in the country, one of the few regional sodas to beat out the soft drink behemoth for dominance in an increasingly globalized market. While it is practically ubiquitous in Peru and other Andean nations, Inca Kola hasn’t garnered mainstream popularity outside of South America. However, it is available in both specialty and big box grocery stores (you just have to be willing to look), and on Amazon. The drink is considered a must try for anyone looking to explore Peruvian culture, or simply interested in being a soda savant. Perhaps the core of Inca Kola’s appeal, besides its bright hue and call to the deeply ingrained Incan roots of Peruvian culture, is its distinct flavor.
Most people who have had Inca Kola describe its flavor as being similar to bubblegum (which is itself a mystery) or the equally enigmatic cream soda, though many fans of the drink will dispute these descriptors. It does have a fruity taste with a slightly floral element that evades simple flavor designation. So, what gives Inca Kola its unique taste? Well, the exact formulation of flavorings has yet to be revealed by the company that makes it. Its primary flavoring is lemon verbena, a plant native to the region of South America that Peru occupies.
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A Soda, A Plant, And Their Shared Roots
Bottle of Inca Kola in front of Machu Picchu – Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock
Lemon verbena is not related to lemon, and is not a citrus. Rather, it has a sweet, floral taste with just a bit of lemon flavor to round it out. Chef José Andrés loves adding lemon verbena to his gin and tonic, a great choice considering its complex flavor profile. It is the primary disclosed flavoring in Inca Kola. However, the drink’s exact formula has not been revealed, so we might never know the precise make-up that gives Inca Kola its unique taste. What we do know is that the drink is a product of national pride in Peru, and its use of a native plant in its formulation certainly adds to its status as a national treasure. In fact, its very origins are rooted in Peruvian identity.
Inca Kola was invented by a man named Joseph Robinson Lindley. Lindley, who was originally from England, owned a beverage company in Peru. In 1935, Lindley developed Inca Kola as a part of a project to create a drink that would appeal to Peruvians. To make its introduction even more culturally impactful, the soda was actually released to coincide with the city of Lima’s 400th birthday. The soda was named for the Incan Empire, a civilization that predates Spanish colonization and still influences Peruvian culture today.
A Golden, Sweet National Treasure
Glass of Inca Kola with large Inca Kola bottle in restaurant – BETO SANTILLAN/Shutterstock
Since its initial introduction some 90 years ago, Inca Kola hasn’t just endured, it’s thrived. In fact, many Peruvians see Inca Kola as a symbol of the nation’s rich heritage. The soda even outsells Coca-Cola in Peru, a success so stoutly held that the soft drink mammoth gave up on competing with Inca Kola on the Peru market in 1999, instead buying out a portion of the company without changing its formula. Yes, Inca Kola is a point of pride for many Peruvians, and this is no mistake. Rather, it’s the result of years of strategic marketing on the behalf of the soft drink company.
From the start, the drink was linked to Peru’s history and culture, given that its name is a historical reference and it was released to align with Lima’s anniversary. But Inca Kola’s ties to the country’s identity don’t end there. Over the decades Inka Cola has used advertisements that reference Peruvian identity and Incan heritage, often featuring images of women in traditional Incan attire. The product’s slogans blatantly push this national identity. Its first slogan dubbed Inca Kola as “La bebida del sabor nacional,” or in English, “The drink of national flavor.” More recently, the drink has taken on the slogan “El sabor del Perú” of “The flavor of Peru.” And in the decades since its release, this slogan has become a reality.
Read the original article on Chowhound.
