So the new age stuff (e.g. Zico) is heavily packaged and likely very healthy and sugar-free. But no contest, iit is just not as good as this stuff, which probably has some added preservatives, definitely added sugar, and those awesome chunks of coconut pulp that pop in your mouth. It's not as clear in colour, it's a little bit cloudy. And this stuff doesn't cost, what, $3 for a little tetra pack. This is about half a litre and costs ~$1.25 at T&T. I got this one from a convenience store.
I used to love this kind of Coconut Water as a kid. On weekends, when we'd go to Halifax, my parents would stop at an Asian grocery store, and pick up a few of these, frozen, because there just wasn't even demand in Halifax to keep it in the fridge, because it would go bad. As it melted, I would slowly suck out all of the juice.
The flavour is kinda caramelly, you get a nuttiness from the cocoNUT, and when you are really thirsty, there is almost no better way thing to have than fridge-cold coconut water - the unhealthy kind.
On Coconut Water: (from wikipedia)
Coconut water is the clear liquid inside young coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm). As the fruit matures, the coconut water is gradually replaced by the coconut meat and air. A very young coconut has very little meat; the meat that it has is very tender, almost a gel. Coconut water has long been a popular drink in the tropics, especially in Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Caribbean, where it is available fresh, canned, or bottled.
Coconuts for drinking are carefully packaged and sold in many places. These are typically Asian coconuts whose outer green husk has been removed, and the remainder wrapped in plastic. Throughout the tropics they can be found sold by street vendors, often cut in front of customers to ensure the coconut water's freshness. Coconut water can also be found in ordinary cans, tetra paks, or plastic bottles (sometimes with coconut pulp or coconut jelly included). It is also being marketed as a natural sports drink because of its high potassium and mineral content.
