Samoa Home Page | Comments about Samoan Splash
SAMOAN SPLASH
A JUST-FOR-FUN opinions about the Samoan Splash drink
I was visiting my favorite faleoloa and I noticed a new Snapple drink called Samoan Splash. I knew I had to try it. First ingredient was fa'i, banana! Sounds good. Orange juice, strawberries (strawberries?) and Cupuacu Puree from Brazil.
You know, it tasted good, but not like anything I had in Samoa. The taste is good, but more like a Banana-strawberry drink from Orange Julius at a stateside mall.
Has anyone ever seen the Cupuacu fruit in Samoa. Most Samoan plants are from Asia with the exception of the yam from South America. Could it be that the Cupuacu fruit is also in Samoa via Brazil? Thus lending credence to the Thor Heyerdahl theory about the Polynesian voyagers from the East? Probably not, but maybe Snapple knows something.
To quote the Snapple label, "Samoan Splash is made from strawberry and banana juices, and a special fruit called cupuacu (pronounced: koo-pwa-SUE). From Brazil, it looks like a coconut, yet...SURPRISE...look it's a melon! Yup, it's soft and juicy on the inside."
Your comments follow. Please don't send any more comments, I've run out of room on this file and I think we've about covered the subject!
8/8/96
We tolerate the comments from palagis who think that Samoa is the place where
those big, fluffy white dogs come from (i.e., Samoyeds). We grimace, yet
hold our tongues, when giggling blond stewardesses announce flights to Pago
Pago, pronouncing it Pay-go Pay-go. We've held many a lengthy conversation
describing to our palagi friends where Samoa is located in the Pacific, only
to have them excitedly conclude that, "Oh! I get it! Y'all are Hawaiians!"
So when a co-worker (a Hawaiian, no less) revealed that Snapple had named
their latest flavor "Samoan Splash," a glimmer of hope welled up inside my
chest -- the pervasive myths of who and what we are would finally be
dispelled. At long last America would know of Us, and all because of this
Divine Beverage, which must be a Nectar of the Gods since it is named for our
ethnic people. Then ... I read the label. Surprise. Samoan Splash suffers
from an identity crisis -- even it is confused as to whether it will siva or
samba. And the flavor -- marginal at best. I just hope the drink will
survive. Otherwise, I can just imagine the ensuing conversations with my
palagi friends, "... no, that was Samoan Splash drink that died, not the
Samoan civilization.... Yeah, sure. Pago Pago is the capital of Brazil and
everyone in village has one of those big, fluffy white dogs."
Ann Thompson - [email protected]
8/2/96
Complain, Complain, Complain....We complain when things aren't right and
when something does goes right, we still find something about it to complain
about. Regardless of why or how Snapple chose to name it "Samoan Splash"
is pointless. The good or bad publicity generated by it, wont make a difference,
in the end result, Snapple still pockets the money. And whose to say it was
named after the island of Samoa anyways... it could have been named after
the city of Samoa in Northern California (up the coast...close to the
California, Oregon Border). If you want my opinion on the official drink of
Samoa, how about "water". Didn't mean to stir the pot folks, but hey!!!
"Chill Out".
[email protected]
Ricky Tuialuuluu7/23/96
O que sera do cupuacu? what will be of the cupuacu? Being a brasilaian and an ex snapple drinker i must voice my opinion. Since purchased by quaker oats snapple's quality has declined and this cupuacu conspiracy shows the change in management. Cupuacushould be served as a pulp by itself not in a watery mix of flavors.
when inmbibed in this manner it enchances mental clarity like ginseng or caffeine.
Robert Poor, [email protected]
7/10/96
Fa'afetai mo le fesili ali'i uso. Well, first of all thanks for
bringing this so-called controversy about Snapple and it's publicity of
the Samoan drink supposedly "Samoan Splash". Initially when I first saw
that drink at the store fridge, I was excited and taken back by the mere
advertisement of having a Samoan drink being advertised globally! Okay
now, maybe there is no such fruit called the "cupuacu" in Samoa, but hey
it's great to know that Snapple has even given Samoa the time of day to
exercise its' publicity. I know that the true Samoan drinks are the
coconut juice/niu, and the ava, but again be thankful that we Samoans
are being recognized for, not to mention, false-advertisement.
Fa'afetai tele Lave,
-Vikolia .T, [email protected]
6/13/96
"Samoa Splash" is great publicity for us (Samoan's). Okay, okay, maybe we
don't have cupuaco, who cares!! This should be considered a milestone for us
all. How many other cultures can boast about having there own drink. We are
being looked at in a positive light, and I think that's SUPER!!
Although we all know that 'Ava is the "real" drink of the Samoa's, Snapple is
a good second, or third!
-Kimba Fonte-Tule, [email protected]
8/1/96
Oi talofa e, e toute le iloa le mea o pula ai le cupuacu? Well, Just
come to the village of Leone, we have lots and lots of cupuacu. Ua
pasia fo'i la'ia mea o cupuacu ia matou. My family has a big toga
cupuacu in the back of our house in Leone. Well! I think we're the only
gifted village in Samoa with the cupuacu tree. I like all the other
comments by some of the brothers and sisters, and most of them are
right. There's no such fruit as cupuacu in Samoa, except for the
village of Leone, Pe'a leva. It is true, the main Samoan juice is the
coconut juice, koko Samoa, vaipouli, and of course, ava Samoa, and the
Samoan splash, it was originated across the street from Leone Midkiff
elementary school in Leone. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!
-Winnie, [email protected]
7/19/96
We have yet to find this drink here in Okinawa Japan but eagerly await
its arrival. I tend to agree with Fonte-Tule as far as the positive
publicity of Samoa. As long as the drink tastes great there is no harm
done.
Tamalii Aupiu [email protected]
6/29/96
One must say.. this has generated alot of publicity for Samoa, even if
mostof the ingrediences are non-native. It has promoted the "Samoa" name
recognition furthest than either Tourism authorities in the Samoas have
done.
Look for few new palagi tourists disembark a flight to Samoa, a Snapple
Samoan Splash in one hand, and ask a Local, "I'd like to feast on a
Cupuacu Puree fruit. Where can I pick one?". The Local, unfamiliar with the
Samoan Splash drink, or the great discussion it has generated, refers the
Tourist to a Papaya. This brings up another point... why wasn't the Papaya (esi)
part of the ingredience? I suggest that Snapple advertise and promote the
"Samoan Splash" (on KSBS-FM in Pago Pago, and KIS-FM in Apia) quickly in Samoa
before the natives give the secret away! Who knows, within a year or so, you may
just find a Sua presentation with lord and behold, a "Samoan Splash"!
There goes the niu! That brings up another item... why wasn't the coconut
included as part of the ingredience? It's part of the Snapple "Bali" drink...
enjoy!
Barney Sene - [email protected] or [email protected]
June 29, 1996
6/7/96
This is a Samoan sister commenting on the "new" drink from Snapple. How is it supposed to be a drink from Samoa when the active ingredient is from Brazil? Was there a disgruntled Samoan employee that Snapple was trying to appease? In any case Samoa's drink has always been and always will be the flowing juice of the coconut. We have been nourishing our bodies with this drink for centuries, I don't think that Snapple can change centuries of coconut-drinking traditions. Do you?
Vevesi Save, [email protected]
6/4/96
Everyone know's that this is not the Samoan drink, and for those of
you who say vailima is it have some respect for your country. 'Ava,
is the only Samoan drink, no other. And yes it's Ava, not Kava. Kava
is what Palagi's say, not a true Samoan.
-Salamasina Fanua, [email protected]
5/17/96
First of all, I would have to agree with David Owens on the favourite
drink. Right out of the husk is number one. Being Samoan, I get a kick
out of the name!!! As far as the non-Samoans who think Kava should be
the official drink, please go do your homework. That's sacred stuff.
The Vailimas have the heaviest beer bottles, but we don't need anymore
alcoholics in this world.
-Tasi, [email protected]
5/15/96
I think the official drink of Samoa should be either straight up coconut
juice, or why not- Vailima (sp?)- is it ok if the beverage is alcoholic?
faafetai tele!
-Monette Benitez, [email protected]
5/13/96
we all know that the best drink in Samoa (and in the world, for that
matter), is coca-cola "MADE IN SAMOA".
thanks Apia Bottling. soifua
-alfred schuster / [email protected]
5/11/96
yeah right. I don't think cupuacu, or whatever it is, is from Samoa. If it were, what
would the Samoan name for it be? Maybe I'd like to try it.
And another thing, why should we have an official drink?
-Joseph Tufa, [email protected]
5/9/96
Sigh... This is from the same company that comes out with a drink called
"Kiwi-Strawberry Cocktail". First, there's no such fruit as "kiwi"; it's
"kiwifruit". Second, the drink's label includes pictures of koalas!
Snapple is not known for its geographical accuracy.
-Ross Finlayson, [email protected]
5/9/96 Snapple schmapple
I really want to know where Snapple got the idea in
the first place.
I sincerely feel that Kava should be the official Hamo drink providing they require the buyer to clap (po) 2 times before each purchase with a label clearing stating that for a "REAL" feel of a Samoan weekend try our "Vailima Beer"
-Wendy-t MacNair, [email protected]
7/31/96
Ok, this is what I think Snapple did. They needed a tropical, "exotic"
name for their new tropical,exotic drink. "What to name it?" they
thought. They couldnt name it Hawaiian Splash there's already Hawaiian
Fruit Punch which is a whole other story. They couldnt call it
Brazilian Splash, why give them, a foreign country, the publicity?
Puerto Rican Splash? Too long! Guamanian Splash? Im already turned off.
Samoan Splash. Perfect. Alliteration and all. End of story.
I think its cool to have a commercial drink named after us. The only
thing missing is our piece of the pie. After all, its our name...Snapple
should pay up! Piece out Samoa. Tofa soifua,
-Damara Gebauer [email protected], [email protected]
5/8/96 Samoan drink
I guess my favorite drink in Samoa would be the banana Poi.
-Eugene Lepulu, [email protected]
My favorite drink from Samoa is green coconut water straight from the husk.
-David Owens
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