Tang Makes a Comeback In Asia

Packets of Tang powdered juice for sale at a Philippine supermarket

AsiaPundit says that Tang the powdered juice drink [Interestingly enough, it is referred to as a powdered soft drink by its manufacturer - Ed.] is very popular in China, even as sales in its home country have precipitously declined:

[UPDATE: Want to see more pictures of supermarket shopping? Visit The Unlawyer's Photoblog for more.]

I can still remember when Tang was a rarity in the Philippines in the 1970’s. It was a staple of many a care package sent by our relatives living in the United States, who would repack the powder into Ziploc bags for compact and easy transport, as they also did for other supplies like coffee and coffee creamer. Tang was also available from Philippine shops that specialized in goods sourced from the Army and Air Force Exchange Service – the post exchange in other words – that used to operate inside what used to be Clark Air Base. I can still remember the taste of heavily diluted and sweetened Tang, as thrifty housewives would extend their supply by mixing more water than recommended with the orange powder, and add sugar to disguise it.

It was a taste of Americana for many.

Later, Tang was manufactured in the Philippines under license but it didn’t taste quite the same as the original.

More information about this segment of the Philippine food trade can be found in this 2005 study: The Powdered Segment of the Fruit Juice Industry.

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One Response to “Tang Makes a Comeback In Asia”

  1. [...] PHILIPPINES – More on the New Tang Dynasty “I can still remember when Tang was a rarity in the Philippines in the 1970’s. It was a staple of many a care package sent by our relatives living in the United States, who would repack the powder into Ziploc bags for compact and easy transport…” by myrick @ 12:32 pm. Filed under Uncategorized   [link] [...]