I was at the African store the other day when a Kenyan man walked in with his two children – a boy and a girl of about three and five years old respectively. There was a fridge stuffed with a variety of soft drinks. Naturally, the kids reached for the Fanta. There’s something about the orange soft drink that makes it irresistible to kids (and sometimes adults, too). I vividly remember Fanta being my favorite drink as a child. Not much has changed since then. However, I do accommodate other brands of orange soft drinks. It seems like only yesterday when I used to call Fanta Tanfa – something my father has not gotten tired of reminding me.
As the kids each reached in to grab a bottle of Fanta, their father helped them to it and encouraged them along the way, saying, “Yes, take the Fanta. That’s Fanta straight from Kenya!” The owner of the store is Cameroonian, and I, the eavesdropper, a Nigerian. So, there we were, three nations, all wearing the Fanta-is-from-my-country look. And I could not help but wonder, whose Fanta is it anyway?
Picture source: Wikipedia
Wait, let me explain something here. People that are not familiar with the Fanta (or any soft drink) that comes in the breakable bottle may not understand the hype. Almost every African I have had the soft-drink discussion with believes that the Fanta that comes in this breakable bottle is sweeter than the Fanta in a can or plastic bottle. I don’t know how true this is, but if it is indeed true that the Fanta in a bottle tastes a lot sweeter, then what does that mean?
Does it mean that Fanta is catering to the apparent sweet tooth that Africans have? Does it mean that the laws that govern the making of Fanta in other countries (like USA and England) does not apply to Africa? Or does it mean that Fanta has realized just how much Africans cannot wait to become diabetic, and so, have offered a helping hand?
It could, of course, just be that the Fanta in Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, and all other African nations tastes just like the one in our new respective countries, and that the packaging is the only difference. Oh, the other difference is that here in the States, we do not have to provide an empty bottle of Fanta before we buy a new one. It makes one wonder — why do they make us provide empty bottles before we buy new bottles of Fanta [in Africa]?
But whose Fanta is it anyway? It’s Coca-Cola’s Fanta. And Coca-Cola is a born citizen of the United States of America. It currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Go figure.
In my opinion, the canned and plastic-bottled Fanta definitely tastes slightly more diluted, less carbonated, and therefore less rich than the glass-bottled one (same way the McVities Digestive biscuits made in Nigeria taste different from their British counterparts). And we trade in our glass bottles because soft drinks would be more expensive otherwise.
I found it really amusing that you used the phrase "soft drink" haha. Haven't heard that in a minute. 🙂
I really think it tastes different..maybe because they use cane sugar in Africa and corn syrup in the US?
The difference is the cane sugar as opposed to corn syrup. It is amazing how we got away with drinking such vast quantities of sugar as children! Ohhhhhh the memories of street parties that the orange bottle evokes! Also in for us in Europe, the EU has guidelines on what goes into our drinks, don't know if anyone cares in Naija.
PS I'm very proud of our recycling crates system! It was and still is the way forward!
hear hear
let me be the first to tell u that
the fanta bottle has changed
to a way sexier one
i am telling u
beautiful new botttle
makes u want to drink fanta over and over again
hehehe
actually, global products like that are marketed differently from region to region. & yes, fanta for Africa (most sha) are sweeter. cos daz what d market asks 4. like wise, our beer are stronger than those marketes, say in UK (i know cos my dad exports the Nigerian beer 2 London).
but lol @ d three countries wanting ownership. una no get job o. which of una own Coca-cola?
Thed mixes vary by country. The fanta in naija is different from the one here and also the one in mexico or even jand. The company does research and its done based on what they perceive the country's taste preference is. The bottle system is better anyways, seeing as we are not big on recycling when it comes to cans, we are helping the planet.
Who remembers Crush and Mirinda?
@Baroka, OMG!!! Crush and Miranda!!! The poor people's Fanta LOL!!! We used to buy that in boarding school all the time!!! Awwwwwww the memories.
Does anyone remember when there was a GIANT Pepsi giveaway in the mid nineties where you had to spell the gifts with the letters under the bottle caps? The whole nation went nuts!
the level of sugar allowed in a drink in different countries vary,it's higher in african countries than in the western ones.
lol..all these talk of orange soda, making me thirsty,
does anybody remember Mirinda and the three orange men? when people swore the anti christ was here..lol!
lol@ ken-knotty..u got it o jare..since they are paying money for ownership, na we get am o..
Its Nigerian fanta and now I feel like having some!!
lollllllll…I can't even laugh. Please abeg, Fanta belongs to NIGERIA. LOL.
Abeg it is our Fanta o, which Kenya and Cameroon? LOL..
And we were the pioneers of recycling. All this non biodegradable plastic soda here, pschewww…
I dont even care who's fanta it is, i have been addicted to fanta for a couple of weeks now. i have been known to stand up and drive to the nearest 7-11 with exact change of $1:48 to go buy the 2L bottle of fanta.
I recently discovered that shoppers sells it for $1:29, God help me!
I was here and I had fun reading..have a great week ahead
Yay! Georgia!
Abegi….fanta does not belong to anyone except shareholders. I always wondered about those damn bottles they made us exchange.
btw-how far with momsie and my request na?
Lmao! That really does make me thirsty haha and heck yeah the Fanta from Nigeria tasted so much better. I can't even drink "soft drinks" (lol) in the US cause they just suck so horribly now :/ The funny thing is, I've been to the World of Coke in Atlanta and the drinks tasted so much better. That was a couple of years back (before calories started appearing under otherwise irresistible food) and I distinctly remember a video that showed that the equivalent of eight spoons of sugar was put in each bottle of Coke's drinks. That was then…
Fanta was created by the branch of Coca-Cola in Nazi Germany. When war came it got cut off from its American suppliers and could no longer make Coke. So it created syrups out of stuff found in Germany: thus Fanta.
via upload.wikimedia.org
the bottle has changed!
The bottled Fanta is way sweeter! As for me I don't know why but it is! Fanta orange in UK is not even Orange… it's like yellowy… Anyway enough Fanta ramblings… I love the stuff though xx
Miss.Fab: My dear, I figured 'soft drinks' would be more appealing and understanding than 'mineral' (or meenyaral rather) lol
The Experiences of an Achiever: Interesting. I never noticed. Maybe I don't drink it often enough anymore? I'm gonna drink a bottled one just to know.
Caramel: LOL @ recycling. Well, that's one way to look at it. It's just that 'recycling' is probably not what the makers and distributors have in mind as they make us bring empty bottles. Oh, well.
BBB: Sexy new bottle, really? Woop tee doo!!! WOW. Can't wait to see it. More than that, can't wait to drink it all up!
FlourishingFlorida: Don't insult us oh! Wetin you mean sef? How do you know that I don't own Coca Cola? Sebi it's because I've been hiding my identity? Anyway, I know that the laws guiding beverages are are different sha; just never noticed that Fanta actually tastes different.
TayneMent: I was right now! They know how eager we are to become diabetic, so they decided to offer a helping hand
lol @ whose fanta it is…claims of ownership on fanta? i laf again…but really, they may also have their producing H/Q in other African Countries, as they do in Naija, hence the Kenyan man's claim…
Errrm I think I miss the old template.
I dunno about the one in the shop that you saw o but the one in the picture is definitely Nigerian Fanta
You can see all the small tribal marks (rough edges) in middle area.
And yes there is no Fanta like Nigerian Fanta
"Tanfa" cha? Well i already know you are 'special'
Fanta was my fave as a child too, well that was after Tandi went into extinction. And yes oh 'breakable bottle' fanta was definitely sweeter, infact i think part of what has helped me lose total interest in soda is this palstic bottle bizniz, the bottle doesn't 'sweat' like i'm used to mehn.
this one is definitely kenyan fanta. can't you see made in kenya on the bottle. though fanta seems a lot more diluted these days unlike before.
Baroka: I definitely remember Crush and Mirinda. What about Limca, too?
Caramel: LOL @ poor people's fanta. Craze chic. I don't remember the Pepsi giveaway oooo. Where was I? What I do remember is the 7UP giveaway of Racer Daewoos. We drank 7-up tire! LOL
Leggy: Yeah, I know. I figured. That's why I said they're helping us become diabetic. LOL.
Reverence: Oh, I definitely remember the three orange men. Naija sha!! Do you how many times the world has almost ended there? LOL.
Kenn-Knotty: Ehm …. na for wikipedia I get the picture na!!! But I do see that it says it's the Nigerian Fanta. LOL @ the wear and tear. Did you have to bring that up?
His Treasure: Very well then. I guess it's ours. lol.
Afrobabe: I had some on Thursday! And as I type this now, I have one in my gloves and scarves drawer. No, I'm not hiding it! Okay, fine. I'm hiding it — a little bit.
Jaycee: By faith we can move mountains oooo. Sebi? Like joke, like joke, it will soon totally belong to us. LOL.
Myne: You do have a point there. The plastics are not biodegradable. In short, e be like say I am now convinced. Fanta belongs to us!
Bumight: FYI, I am scheduling an intervention for you. This is not acceptable! (especially as I'm not part of it).
2Cute4U: Thank you, lovely. Have a great weekend, too.
Lucid: You lie!!! Fanta belongs to Naija. lol. Per the request, I bin think say you go send am na? Abi was I supposed to give a go-ahead? Oopsie. I'll e-mail you.
Duchess: I stopped drinking coke when I heard that the acid in it can destroy my teeth. I love my teeth. Someone needs to say that about Fanta and other things I'm addicted to so I can stay away (like that thing from SaraLee *sigh*)
Blaque: Yeah, yeah, I read all that, too. But still, we want to believe it's a Nigerian citizen. LOL.
Doll: So I've heard. Haven't seen the new bottle though. I hear it's tres sexy!
NogoBlogs: LOL @ it being yellow. Pineapple much, no? I love the stuff, too, girl. Hence the post.
JustDoyin: That one is your own theory ooooo! The rest of "us" have reasons to believe that Fanta is made is Naija. Full stop! lol.
Nice Anon: Oh, boy! Bia, is this an Igbo thing? Mizchif has complained, too. Don't worry, you'll get used to it, and you'll come to love it — I hope.
Thirty +: Gbam!!!!!!!!! You don talk am. How you dey sef? Been a while, girl. Been a long, long while.
Mizchif: I can understand how the sweat outside the bottle has just totally affected the content of the bottle itself — NOT! Anyhoo, how dare you call me special?! Mind yourself oh, Mizchif. Tanfa is just as good as Fanta, thank you very much.
Kenya Job: LOl. Of course, I see the 'Made in Kenya' sign there. I think it even specifically says, 'Made in Nairobi, Kenya'
I guess I'm the only african child who despised fanta as a child and still despises fanta as an adult 😉