Friday, May 15, 2015

Trader Joe's Maple Water

I would have taken a picture of this product out of the package for you guys, but if you want to know what it looks like, just head on over to your kitchen sink and turn the faucet on. Seriously. You can take that "water" part of the product name pretty literally. It might be ever so slightly thicker than tap water, but certainly not to the point that anyone could pick it up in a photograph. 

So apparently, this beverage is like water that just came straight out of a maple tree. It has lots of minerals and nutrients that were en route to branches and leaves and roots and stuff, but good ol' Trader Joe intercepted it and brought it right to the shelves of his stores for us to enjoy instead.

Taste-wise, it's not unlike water...but maplier. I know, I know, that's not very descriptive. But it's true. Now, if you're thinking of putting a bit of maple syrup in a glass of water to simulate this product, I don't know if that would do it. You'd need very little syrup, and I wanna say that putting any amount of maple syrup in water might result in a sweeter beverage than the one we have before us. It's barely sweet at all. In fact there's really barely any flavor at all. But I'd say there's a faint nuttiness about it. Sonia says it tastes like that Pedialyte stuff they give to kids when they're sick. She thinks the taste is very strange. And I have this crazy notion that just struck me—it kinda tastes like water with a hint of bubble solution in it. You know the slightly soapy liquid you made bubbles out of with a plastic wand with a circle at the end of it as a kid...? It tastes kinda like that—yet not quite as disgusting as that probably sounds.

This is one of those situations where we might actually have a beverage that could theoretically hydrate better than water. That's not my foodie-hack expertise talking. A doctor once told me that water has a tendency to go right through you, but other drinks "have some substance," like electrolytes. And doctors have magic pieces of paper on their walls that make everything they say more correct than the things normal dumb people say. Turns out maple trees and other plants crave electrolytes just like we humans do.

Despite the fact that drinking maple water is a practice that predates the cultivation of maple syrup, Sonia thinks this particular version of the product is nothing but a fad—a flash in the pan food trend that won't last. She prefers coconut water because there's a little more flavor...and it's less...well, watery. $3 is a lot to pay for a quart of water. As a wise person from The Impulsive Buy recently observed, "I read on the internet that maple water is going to be big in 2015. I also read on the internet that maple water is going to disappear in 2016."

Sonia gives this product 2 stars. I give it 3.

Bottom line: 5 out of 10.

6 comments:

  1. Haven't tried this yet. A little weary because I tried their boxed coconut water and was so disgusted. I prefer the other one in the bottle for 2.99. I have tried maple water from while foods and loved it, so I'm tempted to try it. We'll see

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  2. Hey, I love your TJ's Reviews!
    I'm also passionate about all things Trader Joe's,
    from the best TJ's snacks to sneak into a movie theater
    to the best (and WORST) foods to eat with cookie butter.

    The best part about Maple Water is the ingredient list: 100% Sap. YUM!

    If you have any questions for Trader Joe, or need any TJ's advice,
    let me know!
    http://www.heytraderjoe.com/

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  3. I hate boxed coconut water, it tastes like plastic to me. But with it being so trendy, due to electrolytes and all that good stuff, I am not at all surprised they are experimenting with other ways to get exciting plant water!

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  4. Love this! Add a squeezed lime or lemon and it tastes like a low calorie less sweet lemonade/limeade. Yum!

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  5. This trader Joes maple water
    is My Favorite maple water.
    Verticle water is good also but it will cost you 2.50 For even smaller Portion.

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  6. I actually LOVE this stuff. To me it tastes like water from the rivers of paradise.

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