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Juice with bits and five other fruity creations

Simon Balissat
21.11.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Manuel Wenk

Canned fruit juices are mainly found in Asia or Asian grocery stores. We recently added a selection of juices to our range. Today, we’re trying them.

Sour orange juice from a tetra pack, now that’s a childhood trauma. One Sunday morning, a stomach flu struck just as I’d emptied two glasses of that diluted concentrate into my gullet. I still don’t know whether the juice was responsible for my illness that day, but I never drank it again.

Luckily, I never had any problems with freshly squeezed fruit juice – I can even tolerate regular ready-made juice. Those have been around everywhere since the turn of the millennium. To me, canned fruit juices feel like a throwback to the Stone Age of beverage containers.

Vietnamese company Tan Do markets various canned fruit juices under the Tropi label, some of which we recently added to our range. We tested these six flavours as a team before our lunch break.

Admittedly, the test in our little office kitchen wouldn’t pass the highest sensory standards. That place smells a little too much like broccoli warmed up in the microwave for that.

Our competent jury in the cosy company cafeteria.
Our competent jury in the cosy company cafeteria.

Coconut Water

This is the only drink in our test that doesn’t contain any additives. We all agree it has an intense coconut flavour and tastes pretty sweet. Too sweet for some. The initially very strict grade we give it – three out of five – was corrected to three and a half after we tried the rest. If you like sweet coconut water, you’ll love this.

Tropi Young Kokosnusswasser (24 x 33 cl)
Soft drinks
CHF21.90 CHF66.37/1l

Tropi Young Kokosnusswasser

24 x 33 cl

Aloe Vera

Here’s where opinions started diverging. Visible, tangible pieces of aloe vera float in the drink. While they make me think of boogers, Patrick loves the slimy consistency. Steffi distinguishes a chemical grape flavour she knows from the Brazilian Fanta Uva. And yes, there’s indeed grape flavouring in it. We couldn’t agree on a rating, results ranged from 1 to 5 stars.

Big bits, straight from the can.
Big bits, straight from the can.
Tropi Aloe vera juice (24 x 25 cl)
Soft drinks
CHF16.90 CHF67.60/1l

Tropi Aloe vera juice

24 x 25 cl

Pineapple

There are no artificial flavours in this pineapple drink, but there is added sugar. However, it still smells a little chemical when opened. Luckily, the irritating aroma disappears after the first sip. «I can clearly taste the pineapple,» Lorenz says. Despite the added sugar, the juice isn’t too sweet. Four out of five, a pretty great unanimous verdict.

Tropi Pineapple juice (24 x 33 cl)
Soft drinks
CHF21.90 CHF66.37/1l

Tropi Pineapple juice

24 x 33 cl

Passion fruit

I love passion fruit! And in this drink, the iconic fruit, which is actually a berry, really comes into its own. It tastes natural, even if it could do with a little more acidity. Someione suggests adding carbonation, which I can understand. A solid four out of five stars for this juice, too.

Tropi Passion fruit juice (24 x 33 cl)
Soft drinks
CHF21.90 CHF66.37/1l

Tropi Passion fruit juice

24 x 33 cl

Lychee

A fruit you either love or hate, and the same goes for this drink. Steffi thinks it tastes like the water from a can of lychees – in the best way possible. The juice reminds me too much of rose water. Most of us find this one too sweet. Three out of five stars.

Tropi Lychee juice (24 x 33 cl)
Soft drinks
CHF21.90 CHF66.37/1l

Tropi Lychee juice

24 x 33 cl

Mango

This is the creamiest juice among the cans we tasted. The mango flavour is rather subtle, even partly reminiscent of coconut at the end. We the jury are happy it has no artificial flavouring. Mango is a little too sweet for me, but I’m apparently alone in this opinion. Four out of five stars to end on.

Tropi Mango juice (24 x 33 cl)
Soft drinks
CHF21.90 CHF66.37/1l

Tropi Mango juice

24 x 33 cl

The juices can be mixed too.
The juices can be mixed too.

Finally, we mixed a few juices and conjured up creations such as a Piña Colada (pineapple coconut) or Multivitamin (all of them together). These juices could also work very well as a mixer for cocktails. However, this was pretty difficult to propose at 11 a.m.

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When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast. 


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