Trader Joe's recently launched a unique Calamansi drink that offers a sweet and sour citrus taste.
Calamansi is a fruit native to Southeast Asia that was created as a hybrid of the mandarin orange and kumquat, making it a popular addition to Asian sauces, drinks and sometimes even beauty products. Trader Joe's Calamansi Cooler is said to have the taste of limeade, but with more of "a tangy, floral twist." To create this unique beverage, Calamansi purée is combined with water. To enjoy, the brand recommends chilling it and serving it over ice, making it into popsicles or even using it as a flavorful cocktail base.
Although the Calamansi fruit is one of the most ubiquitous citrus fruits in the Philippines, North American consumers are only just beginning to see it as an emerging ingredient in packaged food and beverage products.
Hybrid Citrus Coolers
Trader Joe's Launched a Sweet and Sour Calamansi Drink
Trend Themes
1. Calamansi Craze - The rising popularity of calamansi as a unique citrus ingredient offers new opportunities for food and beverage companies to capitalize on this trend.
2. Hybrid Beverage Innovation - The creation of hybrid citrus beverages opens up opportunities to explore other fruit combinations to create unique flavor profiles.
3. Functional Fluids - Calamansi drinks and other hybrid citrus beverages may offer functional benefits that appeal to health-conscious consumers, providing opportunities for product differentiation.
Industry Implications
1. Beverages - The beverage industry can capitalize on the demand for unique hybrid citrus drinks, such as the Calamansi Cooler, to introduce new flavors and products to consumers.
2. Food and Snacks - The rising popularity of calamansi as an emerging ingredient in packaged food products presents an opportunity for food companies to innovate and introduce new flavor combinations to existing products.
3. Beauty and Personal Care - The popular use of Calamansi in beauty products in Southeast Asia presents potential opportunities for the beauty and personal care industry to innovate and incorporate this ingredient into skincare and haircare products.