At the suggestion of Andriko Lozowy and the Sailin’ On vegan food truck at the Edmonton Folk Festival, I’ve decided to review the Tamarind Nectar beverage from Jumex. Lozowy suggested it was a hard sell which made me a bit hesitant, but as a man who once ate his weight in Big Turk bars, I’ve never been one to turn down an off hand suggestion. Here it is in the glory of its can constrained opulence:
From the tamarind tree, the nectar is from ripened pod like fruit which is considered more palatable as it matures. It is used in desserts like a jam, blended into juices or in ice creams and all manner of delectable edibles. In the Western world, it can be found in Worcestershire and HP sauce. And metal polish.
Upon opening the can, it gave off hints of apple juice which is a good thing as apple juice is a delicious member of the juice family. Upon pouring the cans flowing fruity contents into my face hole, I am again reminded of apple juice, which as I have aforementioned, is as delicious as angel sweat.
Three sips later I forget that I am drinking tamarind. My mind runs to memories of my childhood where I would chug a punch pack of apple juice and head out to the swamp in my Cape Breton back yard. I would sharpen sticks with my mother’s kitchen knives and pretend that I was child of the land, suckling off the primal teat of a timeless war hungry hedonism where dragons were real and young men with sharpened sticks were considered gods.
The next thing I know, the can is empty and I have to pee, which is not as much of a coincidence as one might imagine.
Over all, Tamarind Nectar gets 4 cans of apple juice out of 5, because in the end, it is not apple juice. But in an apple juice famine, would bring a melancholy smile to the face of the apple juice starved.
Also, try the BLT. The go together like Big Turk bars and sharpened sticks.
The Trent Wilkie 