New Experiences and Oddities

The last time I was here in Mexico in the first week of January of 2020, I remember seeing ads and signs everywhere in Mexico for the new Coca-Cola with coffee. I immediately thought that it sounded very interesting. I wanted to try it, but I just didn't get the chance to do so during my very busy week here. When I returned to Mexico this September, I inquired about it once again. Because nobody here had seen it in a good while, I was told that they didn't think it was still available. So, upon hearing that I was immediately disappointed. However, almost three months of being here, lo and behold, last night while shopping at Walmart, by brother-in-law found some Coca-Cola with coffee for me. So of course I had to buy some to try.

Coca-Cola with coffee is actually surprisingly good, or maybe it isn't surprising at all. It just seems surprising to me as it isn't a combination that I wouldn't have ever thought of before. Coca-Cola with coffee has the strong dark roast taste of the coffee, but the mixture of Coca-Cola with it that helps cut the bitterness of the coffee, and gives it a sweet caramel flavor to it. In actuality, it is a perfect combination. The taste is a little bit different, the combination of coffee and carbonation, but I really enjoy it quite a bit.

Quite a few years ago, Coca-Cola released in the US Coca-Cola Blak, which was almost the exact same thing, but I believe it was a lesser amount of coffee and less caffeine. However, it was a total flop in the US as Coca-Cola said that it was something that was ahead of its time, and the company wasn't paying attention to the trends at the moment. But now Coca-Cola feels that it is time to reintroduce the product once again, but slightly different from last time. Now it has more of a coffee taste and it has quite a bit more caffeine to it now. I can't say as to where else this has been released, but evidently the company decided to release it elsewhere, especially here in Mexico before doing so in the US.

I think Mexico is more receptive of combinations of different flavors more so than the US. I see so many variations and combinations of foods here, that sometimes it baffles me. Sometimes, I can't get into the flavor combos, but most of the time, they are amazing! In my opinion, Mexicans are much more adventurous eaters than people in the US, and I think it pays off. There is a rich diversity of absolutely amazing food here, so much so that I know that most people in the US haven't a clue what Mexican food is really about. There is no wonder that Mexican food has been awarded a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO! Mexican food is so profoundly good, that it has sparked countless Mexican restaurants in the United States, albeit some more authentic than others, but the influence is unmistakingly huge. With that being said, the variety of food here is so diverse, I really believe that most people back in the US cannot wrap their heads around it, and they truly do not understand what Mexican food really is. But here I am, going off on a tangent of course, when all I was wanting to talk about is Coca-Cola with coffee. But I think you understand where I was going with it.

So the other thing I found was tuna flavored Jell-O. Now, I've been here long enough to know what tuna is in Spanish, but I had a momentary lapse of memory at the grocery store. When I first saw it, I was disgusted. I thought to myself, "How revolting!" My wife asked me if I wanted some, and I gave a very quick no. But after a minute or two, when I finally realized that tuna in Spanish doesn't mean tuna in English, then I laughed at myself, and then my wife laughed too. She had to tell everyone in our family about the hilarious mix-up. Because seriously, who would eat a fish Jell-O? So what is tuna? Well, I tried looking up the word to find the equivalent in English, and I couldn't find one at first. I think it's because every translator automatically assumes I am wanting the translation for the English word tuna. Well, eventually I found it. In English, tuna means prickly pear, and it is quite delicious. I can imagine that prickly pear flavored Jell-O would actually taste pretty good.

So, it is important to do a double check when you're in another country, because if you see something that takes you off guard, it might not mean what you think it means. But, there's always a small chance that it does. My one piece of advice to everyone reading this, if you find a food or drink that you have never tried before, then try it! I don't care if it sounds nasty. Try it! You never know if it is going to be good if you don't take a chance. Sometimes it's the craziest things that surprise you!