A kiwifruit soda at Kiefel Coffee in Ōsaka was one of the standout drinks during our trip to Japan in 2015, so we were stoked to stumble upon this Gohobi Herb & Fruits Cordial Kiwi at the brand’s store in Kurashiki.
Gohobi recommends enjoying the cordial concentrate either diluted as a drink, as an addition to flavour tea, or as a topping for yoghurt or ice cream and pancakes.
The cordial concentrate is dark brown-green and generously speckled with black kiwifruit seeds.
At the recommended ratio of 1 part syrup to 4 parts water (carbonated or still), the concentrate dilutes with water to a beautiful yellow the colour of golden kiwifruit. The smell and taste of the drink recall the flavour of lemon squash right from the head through to the body, with sweet notes of kiwifruit emerging in the finish from the kiwifruit pulp and seeds. The pulp adds texture to an otherwise smooth beverage, while the seeds also add spurts of intense kiwifruit flavour as they’re bitten through. The pulp and seeds sink to the base of the cup, though, so most of the intense kiwifruit flavour was confined to the latter part of the beverage.
Adding a teaspoon of the syrup to 200 mL of Lupicia Kiwi Black Tea adds an enjoyable natural sweetness and lifts the freshness of the kiwifruit flavour in the tea.
This Gohobi Herb & Fruits Cordial Kiwi contained 200 ml. It was bottled in Japan and purchased in Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan in 2015.