Today is Mexican Independence Day. Let out a grito, pour some mezcal on the ground for the ancestors, then kick off your celebrations by watching this late-'90s rap-en-Español track by Tres Delincuentes [link to buy], then by digging the groovy Herb Alpert track sampled therein [link to buy].
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I recently noticed that Jarritos became a sponsor on Boing Boing (you may well be seeing their ads here as you read this post). This is awesome! And tonight, I spotted this New York Times feature about how the 61-year-old Mexican soda pop company is going through a sort of marketing makeover, which I suppose advertising on Boing Boing is part of. In addition to ads on sites like ours, they're also doing branded street art (see the photo below for one mural in Los Angeles).
I think it's cool that this archetypal "ethnic" brand from Mexico is making new inroads here in the US. As with so-called "Mexican Coke"*, Jarritos is made with granulated natural sugar. All the big soda brands in the US are high-fructose corn syrup instead. There's some debate over the health differences between sugar and HFCS, but soda aficionados argue there's a big flavor difference. I agree.
Jarritos makes a cola flavor, too. My two favorite flavors in their line: hibiscus and guava. Also tamarindo! Almost forgot the tangy tamarindo.
Disclosure: nobody asked me to do this post, I just think the story, and the product, are neat.
* Not the kind the narcos sell, kids!
(Image: Piña Refresco, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivative-Works (2.0) image from brianauer's photostream)
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The gift shop at the Burbank airport sells Mexican jumping beans. I always buy a couple of packs when they are available. My kids and I had a fun jumping bean race after dinner tonight (my bean kicked ass). Afterwards, I loaded up the URL on the label on the little plastic box and marveled at the all-caps information page about jumping beans. It's worth reading in its entirety, but here are a few highlights: "THE MEXICAN JUMPING BEAN IS UNDOUBTEDLY AMONG ONE OF OUR CREATOR’S BEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT UNDOUBTEDLY GIVES MORE PLEASURE AND INTRIGUE FOR THE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER CREATION."
"WE FEEL THAT THE X-RAYS ARE HARMFUL TO ANY LIVING VICTIMS AND IT WILL SHORTEN THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY. CARRY THEM IN YOUR POCKET AND SHOW THEM TO THE INSPECTORS."
"REGRETTABLY, THEY ARE DOOMED WHEN THEY LEAVE THEIR NATURAL HABITAT IN MEXICO. THERE ARE NO HOST PLANTS THAT WILL PERMIT THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR LIFE CYCLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT WILL KILL THEM FROM HEAT, DEHYDRATION, FREEZING. THE MOTH SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO FLY FREE IF THEY EMERGE FROM THE BEAN. A SCENIC TRIP AS IT WERE."
"IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, I HAVE ONLY HEARD OF TWO INSTANCES OF CHILDREN SWALLOWING A MEXICAN JUMPING BEAN. ONE LADY CALLED BACK TO LET ME KNOW THAT THEY FOUND THE MISSING BEAN. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE STRONG ACID CONTENT OF THE STOMACH WILL KILL THE GERMS AND LARVA IN SHORT ORDER."
Instructions for playing the Mexican Jumping Bean Game include the following legal advice: "If you wager, make it small amounts. The Government doesn't like gambling unless they get a piece of the action."
I would like to ask the person who wrote this to be a guest blogger on Boing Boing for a couple of weeks.
We Sell Mexican Jumping Beans - Useful Information
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