Hong Da Ma Kanten Wax Gourd Drink

After the mental scarring caused by Madam Hong's Black Fungus Drink the Drinks Master was slightly hesitant to break off the seal of the second offering.

The second of Madam Hong's finest goes by the name of Kanten Wax Gourd Drink. Before risking life and limb the Drinks Master thought some research into KWGD might be prudent. A short search of the world wide web revealed:

1. Hong Da Ma is part of a Taiwanese company that specialises in jelly based drinks. Unfortunately their website (http://www.jouho.cn) is in Chinese, to which your hero has no language prowess. Some random clicking on the website revealed however that they possess a multitude of certification including internationally recognised HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) and an ISO standard quality system.
   
   
2. There was a recent scare in Taiwan regarding the inclusion of "Plasticizers" in certain drinks, which was shown to be cancer causing. Madam Hong has communicated however that such additives have not been incorporated into its "healthy living" drinks.
   
   
3. KWGD is advertised as a "light drink fat-free satisfaction with no burden drink". Mmmm no burden... just how mamma used to make it.
   
   
4. Wax Gourd is actually another name for winter melon, which is a long green melon grown in Asia related to the more common honeydew melon. Apparently when young it is sweet, but as it matures it becomes more vegetable like (and develops a waxy skin).

Right, school time is finished, on to the review!

KWGD comes in a thick 460ml plastic bottle with the texture of a waxed gourd. Madam Hong herself is pictured on the front label with a beaming yet clumsy smile, which suggests a note of mad scientist about the adorable little lady. Removal of the green cap reveals that the the bottle is sealed, not with a kiss, but a peelable plastic seal which unlike the Black Fungus Drink is relatively easily removed.

The smell that permeates from the bottle screams pure Asia. Imagine the smell of your local Asian supermarket - you know the one - that sweet, fishy, fungal kind of smell. No matter where in the world one may go, it is the universal Asian supermarket aroma. This was somewhat surprising given the meagre ingredients list of water, sugar, wax gourd and fiber.

From the outside KWGD looks unassuming. It is a golden brown colour, free from chunks or solids. Peering into the opened cavity reveals an apparently highly viscous liquid that would be more aptly described as 'gloop' in which bubbles were suspended. Flash backs to Black Fungus struck the Drinks Master like a vicious slap to a cold face in winter.

Was this to be a repeat of previous Madam Hong hate crimes against the drinks fraternity?

Mustering all the courage he could find the Drinks Master took the plunge with his first swig. The mouth confirmed what the eyes suspected in terms of texture - a loose jelly like slop akin to a jellied dessert that hadn't set properly. Eating it with a spoon would be a fruitless adventure, but slurping it from the bottle wasn't exactly a fine dining experience.

Surprisingly however, the flavours that presented themselves came to the party alone; their obnoxious colleague the 'gag reflex' being pleasantly absent. Amidst the gloop was woven the unexpected flavour of maple syrup, which was obviously derived from a sugar caramelisation process.

Putting aside the 'gloopiness' of the whole affair, all in all it was not an unpleasant experience. No foul aftertaste arose, and no sediment or other nastiness awaited at the end. It executed itself as a consistent maple flavoured gloop in a bottle.

Coming to the ultimate question, should it be drunken again, presents a small quandary. The taste is palatable but the texture is, for lack of a better word, "weird".


If one can bring themself to crest the texture mountain then mostly like they will be pleasantly surprised with the results that follow. It is however a monumental improvement over the Black Fungus Drink, so if you have a choice of Madam Hong brews choose this!