Adventures in Food
Why aren’t you drinking…Ya-Cool?
A cousin to drinkable yogurt, this Mexican “cultured dairy beverage” is perfect for packing as a snack or in lunchboxes. My kids LOVE them. Plus, there’s the whole novelty of it. While they might be popular and available everywhere in Mexico, you can’t find them just anywhere in the U.S.
I usually stock up at our Mexican grocers, which is sadly a half-hour drive from our house. Ah well, it’s worth the drive–I grab fresh-made corn tortillas, lime mayo, dried ancho chiles, pinguinos (I’ll have to post about those later–think less sugary, moist Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes). Ya-Cool come in packs of 5 small bottles with an easy to peel off aluminum lid. There are several different companies that make them and plenty of varieties to choose from. My kids’ favorite are the peach and pineapple. I like the regular which has sort of a mild, indistinguishable fruity flavor and strawberry (fresas).
According to the packaging, they are supposed to aid in digestion. I’m not really sure about the health claims, I just know they taste good. Perhaps Activia for youngsters?
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about 2 years ago
Wow – fascinating – this is probably the same thing as “Yakult” which is a Japanese drink very commonly sold here in Japan. So you may be able to find the same drink at an Asian market in the U.S. Okay, I just looked it up on Wikipedia and it appears it is, indeed, the same thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakult
about 2 years ago
I was gonna say what Christine said. Looks like a Yakult version.
about 2 years ago
I’d like to know what the sugar content is? Forgive me for being a curmudgeon but I suspect it’s so much healthier for kids to just drink water, not juice or processed drinks like this one… Also, the drink is sitting in plastic for who knows how long? Plastic is known to disrupt the human endocrine system. Ut oh, I am really sounding curmudgeonly, aren’t I? This drink would be great for a once-in-awhile treat but not for every lunch.
about 2 years ago
Christine–thanks for the link! They are the same.
about 2 years ago
No doubt about it, definitely healthier to drink water. Ya-Cool does have a high sugar content (but comes in small bottles). Luckily, the Mexican grocers is far from our house so I don’t get it very often and it’s not an everyday treat. I consider it a chance to try flavors from another culture so every once in awhile, it’s fun to let them give it a try and share it with friends.
about 2 years ago
Sounds interesting. The drink I’m hooked on is O.N.E. coconut water drinks. They come in little juice boxes and are all natural. They do have can sugar added.
about 2 years ago
I haven’t heard of these–I’ll have to try it. I like coconut, but when I’ve tried drinking the water straight from it (as is traditional in some cultures–I was at a friend’s house who was from the Philippines who introduced me to the idea) I must admit I didn’t like it at all. But coconut milk in curries, desserts, I like that. I’ll have to look around for these, though.
about 2 years ago
oh my gosh, PLEASE tell us about the pinguinos! Just the name alone is making me want one. (also, this makes me think I should be shopping for husband Dan at the Mexican grocery…)
about 2 years ago
Let me tell you, there’s nothing good for you in them, but they’re delicious!
about 2 years ago
i just love ya-cool drinks they are great i get them in food for less people try them ……
about 1 year ago
Yakult has ingredients that helps your digestion and ya-cool is a want to be like many others, cheaply made, don’t know where it comes from but yakult we had in Mexico for a long time, I live in Chicago and so far I have not seeing the real yakult ….. If anyone know let me know please …
about 1 year ago
I am brazilian and we have yakult everywhere there. Now I’m leaving in Boston and I found the Ya-cool at markets basket here. The Ya-cool although it taste good, its definetly a knock off. It resembles the flavor of yakult, but there’s nothing like the real deal.
about 1 year ago
Agreed!
about 1 year ago
Our family just love that drink! The best!
about 1 year ago
Just want to let everyone know in the Chicago area, that Yakult is now avaliable. You can find Yakult at Tony’s Fine Foods, Pete’s, Cermak Produce and a varity of Hispanic stores. Don’t be confussed by the imitators,espically Ya-Cool. There is a reason they market themselves as a Yakult imitator, they want to confuss the public.
about 1 month ago
I was introduced to this by a sweet Mexican lady at my work. She said they use it as instant heartburn relief. And boy does it work! Better than anything else Ive tried! We get them at our Walmart.