The Flavor

If you were unaware, LIJ’s Bushi has a karaage* shop in the north-east section of Tokyo** called Marubu Shouten. Now that you know that, hold that thought.

A Tumblr post I have come across multiple times on various platforms discusses a drink called “The Flavor.” The original poster, heedra, describes how they have mixed the cranberry flavor of Mike’s Hard Lemonade with Lime Cucumber Gatorade to create a drink that has a taste. What that taste is, however, is unknown. The taste buds recognize a flavor, but you experience a mental 404 error when you try to piece together what exactly that flavor is.

As someone who loves to try new and... unique flavors, I have longed to drink “The Flavor” ever since I first read about it. Unfortunately, the ingredients are hard, if not impossible, to come by in Japan. That’s where Bushi and his shop come in. Dear reader, let me introduce you to “クロピス.”

Read as kuropisu in the Latin alphabet, it would probably be written as Curopis for a brand name. This drink is occasionally offered by Marubu Shouten. It is supposed to be like the famous yogurt drink Calpis (called Calpico in the US), but black (the name is the Japanese word for black, kuro, plus the ending of Calpis). What makes it black is probably a secret Bushi and his cohorts will take to the grave, but this drink definitely has a color and a flavor.

I have drank Calpis plenty of times and quite like it. And one could, I think, argue that Calpis is a flavor, but I feel like there is enough of a hint of what I recognize as the taste of sweetened plain yogurt in it to not trigger any mental errors or confusion when I consume it. Kuropisu, on the other hand, is a FLAVOR.

The first, and thus far only, time I tried it was at the 2024 KOPW event at Ryogoku Sumo Hall. As is sometimes the case at New Japan shows, a stand was set up outside near the venue where people could buy various boxed sets of food*** (and branded goods) from Marubu Shoten, and this included cans of Kuropisu. They were available as a Halloween special. I bought one, because of course I did, and gave it a try.

Moments before a flavor was tasted and a feeling was felt.

My mind drew a blank with every sip. There was a similarity with Calpis, but it was not Calpis. It was not anything else I recognized either. It was not good and it was not bad; it just was. If the drink is just Calpis with black food coloring (my best guess at the contents, but not confirmed), the food coloring has a definite effect on the flavor profile of the Calpis. It creates a flavor.

So, if you ever are in Tokyo and are craving something that tastes, stop by Marubu Shouten and see if they have Kuropisu on the menu. You won’t be disappointed. You won’t be much of anything, really, except probably a bit confused.

*Karaage is like fried chicken, but marinated before cooking, has a dry coating, and typically has a different mix of spices than American fried chicken.

**In Ayase, Adachi specifically.

***And take them into the venue to eat because Japan is cool like that.

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