Tuba – a drink you chew

Tuba – a drink you chew

I was intrigued by guys like this, strolling or strategically positioned along the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, carrying a gas-can-type plastic container and a picturesque gourd.



They’re selling tuba, a drink of fresh coconut sap drained from a stem using a tube (get it?). I think the gourd is maybe intended to suggest how the liquid used to be collected (my guess is they now use something more like the plastic container).



The cloudy white drink contains diced apples and roasted nuts, which means you end up lightly chewing each sip, which is rather pleasant.

We bought a cup that went unfortunately un-photographed because we drank it so quickly. It was an incredible energy boost – sweet, allegedly full of electrolytes, and actually conferring a more immediate buzz than a cup of java.

According to the tuba vendor, this beverage is an excellent contraceptive against “animalitos” in the stomach – at any rate, it’s a very refreshing alternative to a cola or other soft drink.

Tuba is sometimes fermented for wine or vinegar (it takes only a few days), but ours was fresh and nonalcoholic. For more on fermented versions of this drink, see Sazerac’s excellent post: http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t= ... light=tuba

David “Spicy squid would have been great with this” Hammond

David Hammond wrote:[We bought a cup that went unfortunately un-photographed because we drank it so quickly. It was an incredible energy boost – sweet, allegedly full of electrolytes, and actually conferring a more immediate buzz than a cup of java.

David,

You are a braver man than I, tuba being the only thing that I purposely avoided in PV. Congratulations on both tasting and surviving Tuba.

David Hammond wrote:According to the tuba vendor, this beverage is an excellent contraceptive against “animalitos” in the stomach – at any rate, it’s a very refreshing alternative to a cola or other soft drink.

This makes sense, as coconuts (and other palms) are a fantastic source of lauric acid, reputed to be a powerful anti-microbial. I don't make predictions, but if I did, I would recommend putting money on coconuts (oil, milk, juice) being touted the exciting "new" health food of 2008.

Great post, thanks David.

Kristen

kl5 wrote:I don't make predictions, but if I did, I would recommend putting money on coconuts (oil, milk, juice) being touted the exciting "new" health food of 2008.

Kristen

Actually, coconut water (the stuff from inside the coconut, not coconut-flavored water) first popped up at the Fancy Food Show about two years ago, being touted as a serious health drink. I know see it at Whole Foods.

As for the rest of the coconut, alternative practitioners have been singing its praises for a while, but it would be nice to see it go more mainstream.