tomato

While doing a little shopping at her local Lawson Store 100 (a convenience store where everything is priced at around 100 yen), reporter Yumeno over at our sister site Pouch stumbled across a rather unusual drink from Tochigi Prefecture that we doubt many would be willing to drink without steeling their nerves first: “Tomato, milk and lemon blend.”

Seriously? Tomato, milk and lemon all mixed up together!? For the sake of science and because we love to laugh, our brave reporter grabbed a couple of cartons and brought them back to the office for a taste test.

Tochiraku Nyugyou, a dairy company in Tochigi Prefecture, manages the production and sale of this peculiar product, which first went on sale on July 16 and is allegedly made with only the finest milk and tomatoes from Tochigi. As for the thinking behind the tomato, milk and lemon drink, the company commented, “We asked ourselves, ‘Where is there room on the market for a fun, head-turning product?’ What we came up with was this unique drink.”

The fat content of the milk actually allows the body to consume the lycopene from the tomatoes more effectively, so combining the two in this way makes for a healthy drink. What’s more, it’s absolutely packed with calcium.

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The product itself is on sale at convenience stores and supermarkets within Tochigi Prefecture. However, some 100-yen Lawson stores across the Kanto region have also begun carrying the product.

Well, we’ve gone into quite a bit of detail about the contents of the product, but what about the actual taste? After giving it a careful sip and then a decent glug, reporter Yumeno commented that it had “a thick and paste-like consistency” and was a little like drinking cold soup. Yumeno said that in terms of taste, it was much like a very sweet tomato soup.

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Other members of the Pouch editorial department also gave it a go, commenting that “the tomato taste really stands up well”, “There’s a really creamy after taste” and, “I really like the subtle lemon flavor.”

Admittedly, anyone hearing the words “tomato”, “milk” and “lemon” together in the same sentence would likely pull a face of disgust as a basic reflex action, and to be honest I wouldn’t blame them. But the general consensus from the Pouch team was positive overall. What’s more, everyone seemed surprisingly taken aback by the drink’s depth of flavor and how the tomato soup-like texture grows on you.

One member of the team commented that drinking too much of the stuff could leave your throat feeling a little dry. However as something drunk every once in a while, the product is not without its charm. If you’re thinking about a trip to Tochigi Prefecture why not give it a try?
[ Read in Japanese ]