Throughout my time in Ecuador, one interesting product I took a liking to
was Inca Kola. This yellow Peruvian soda is not sold in the United States
of course, but can be found in almost every Ecuadorian streetside store.
The flavor is intriguingly bubblegummy (which I love), however many
Ecuadorians I spoke to felt otherwise. In fact, nearly every local I talked
to said they preferred Coca Cola or Sprite over Inca Kola. Despite my love
for the flavor, I can count on one hand the number of times I saw an
Ecuadorian actually drink the soda, despite them having sweet tooths and
drinking soda or juice at every meal. I never did figure out why you could
find Inca Kola in basically every store, despite it never being purchased.
It might be unpopular in Ecuador, but try it for yourself sometime. You
just might like it…