Comparison of Various Mango Juice Brands

The first in a series of posts reviewing, of all things, Mango juice/Mango drinks. A result of both too much free time, and a surprisingly well-stocked international foods section at nearby grocery stores. Enjoy!

*****

Tropical Grove by Allen's
"Mango Flavored Juice Drink"

Product of Canada

Each Serving:
Cost - $0.25
Size - 8fl oz / Calories - 120 / Fat - 0g / Sodium - 5g / Sugars - 28g

Composition:
15% Juice. Water, Liquid Invert Sugar, Concentrated (Orange, Apple, Grape, Pear, Mango) Juice. Less than 0.5% of Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Yellows #5 & #6.

Taste & Texture:
A thin, orange-yellow colored liquid. It tastes more like a (bad tasting) fruit punch dominated more by pears and grapes than mangoes; even though it's not listed in the ingredients, it also tastes like artificial peach. I can't actually taste any mango, which is not surprising given that of the various fruit concentrates going into this drink, mango is listed last. It's cloyingly sweet and leaves a sour aftertaste. Cheap, but tastes terrible. F. Pass.

*****

Mira
"Mango Premium Tropical Nectar"

Product of Egypt

Each Serving:
Cost - $0.57
Size - 8fl oz / Calories - 130 / Fat - 0g / Sodium - 40mg / Sugars - 31g

Composition:
23% Juice. Water, Mango Puree, Sugar, Pectin, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Calcium Chloride, Natural Colors (Annatto).

Taste & Texture:
A thick yellow-orange liquid. Actually tastes like mango, and is nice and sweet. There is a hint of something bitter or "industrial" tasting (for lack of a better word) in this drink. It's not unpleasant, but it's just noticeable after the initial sweet flavor. The drink finishes cleanly with no lingering aftertaste. Kinda pricey, but it's alright. C+. Try.

*****

Jumex
"Mango Nectar from Concentrate"

Product of Mexico

Each Serving:
Cost - $0.38
Size - 8fl oz / Calories - 140 / Fat - 0g / Sodium - 40mg / Sugars - 32g

Composition:
30% Juice. Water, Mango Puree from Concentrate, Sugar and/or HFCS, Pectin, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Beta Carotene.

Taste & Texture:
A thick yellow-orange liquid. Tastes sort of like mango, but no cigar. It's not sweet enough; actually, it's a little on the sour side - like underripe mangoes were used. Leaves a slight sour taste in the mouth. C-. Pass.

*****

Goya
"Mango Nectar"

Product of Canada

Each Serving:
Cost - $0.48
Size - 8fl oz / Calories - 140 / Fat - 0g / Sodium - 5mg / Sugars - 35 g

Composition:
23% Juice. Water, Mango Puree, Liquid Invert Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid.

Taste & Texture:
A thick-ish yellow-orange liquid. Of this group of four drinks, tastes the most like mango. It also has a nice mango-ey aroma to it. Nice and sweet, and it has just a right amount of tanginess to it. B+. Buy.

*****

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Mother's Garden

Orange tulips from my mom's garden.



Clicking on the above picture will lead to my flickr album for this set.

2008 Honda Accord Coupe

2008 Honda Accord Coupe LX-S. Belize Blue.



Sweet!


My review of the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe is available at: http://bobbypd.blogspot.com/2008/05/review-of-2008-honda-accord-coupe-lx.html

The Animals of Manhattan

Some animals from around Manhattan (2008 edition).



Charging Bull (AKA Wall Street Bull). There's usually a throng of tourists around this sculpture, found at Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan, even at night.







Sparrows hanging out and bathing in Central Park.



A Duck in Central Park's Pond.

Squirrels found in Central and Battery Park.

Seagulls around Battery Park Pier. Must be nice.

Quick Hop to Roosevelt Island

I was walking around the city when I saw an interesting building on 60th and 2nd.

There was some sort of car hanging on a wire and thought that it was some aerial sightseeing tour of the city. Not wanting to miss any touristy opportunities, I dashed up the stairs, but noticed that there were the standard subway turnstiles at the gate. My initial enthusiasm quickly subsided as I realized that this was not some sightseeing tour, but just an aerial tram to-and-from Roosevelt Island. The ride was only $2, so I thought I'd go anyway just to see the island.

The Queensboro bridge from above

A view down 2nd (?) Avenue



The Queensboro Bridge as we passed

There wasn't really that much on the island. There was this factory, some abandoned warehouse, and a bunch of plain-looking apartment blocks.

The best thing going for it was the view of Manhattan. Actually, as I was taking pictures, some random woman came up behind me and started laughing at me - no joke. I suppose she found it funny that someone could find anything worthy of taking pictures of on her island.



The UN building as seen from Roosevelt Island.

A Walk in Central Park

Central Park (or any other park) seems to be a good place to start for the amateur photographer. There's a nice mix of people, animals, things, and events going on at any given time, so there's no shortage of photo opportunities.







Bethesda Terrace and Angel Statue in front of The Lake in Central Park. This is a fountain but the water is shut off in the winter. In the warmer months the terrace is filled with tourists and The Lake with boaters, but in January it's a much thinner crowd. However, the fountain itself is still a draw even in the winter.

A little wooden bridge over a dried-up stream just to the side of The Lake, along the trail that wraps around it - I think this area is called The Ramble.

At this time of year, there aren't too many animals around the park except for a few squirrels and pigeons. And of course some people, but I'm not ready to start taking pictures of strangers just yet.





Well, I guess I was ready after all. This (apparently homeless) guy created a flower arrangement on the ground in the shape of a peace sign, with pictures of John Lennon scattered around. I think he wanted tips, but I didn't see where people were leaving him money so I didn't. Where he gets fresh flower petals in the middle of winter I do not know.



Belvedere Castle. The sunset and ominous cloud formations made for a great end to the day.