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Markets in everything
I'm afraid to give this one much of a subtitle:
India's Hindu nationalist movement is launching a new soft drink made from cow urine.
The bovine brew is in the final stages of development by the Cow Protection Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India's biggest and oldest Hindu nationalist group, according to the man who makes it.
Om Prakash, the head of the department, said the drink — called "gau jal," or "cow water" — in Sanskrit was undergoing laboratory tests and would be launched "very soon, maybe by the end of this year."
"Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty too," he told the Times of London from his headquarters in Hardwar, one of four holy cities on the River Ganges. "Its USP will be that it's going to be very healthy. It won't be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins."
The drink is the latest attempt by the RSS – which was founded in 1925 and now claims 8 million members – to cleanse India of foreign influence and promote its ideology of Hindutva, or Hindu-ness.
I thank John de Palma for the pointer.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on February 12, 2009 at 03:30 PM in Food and Drink | Permalink
Comments
Tyler, it is still the lunch hour on the west coast!
Posted by: David at Feb 12, 2009 3:50:29 PM
Doesn't Budweiser already produce this beverage?
Posted by: Lars at Feb 12, 2009 3:50:51 PM
It sounds piss pour if you ask me.
Posted by: Zac F at Feb 12, 2009 4:04:45 PM
>>I'm afraid to give this one much of a subtitle
How about Markets in Everything: RSS edition. You could even say Markets in Everything: India edition. This sort of thing could not possibly happen in any other country. You could even go for Markets in Everything: Hindu Edition, and be factually correct (to my knowledge Hinduism is the only religion or even school of thought that promotes cow urine consumption), but be prepared to be charged with "outraging religious sentiment" and even be burned in effigy in India.
Posted by: Kunal at Feb 12, 2009 4:15:31 PM
Will they use the name of the popular Japanese beverage that no American will drink: Calpis? Pronounced presumably with a Japanese "L" -- that is "ow".
(If you think I made it up, just google it)
Posted by: mae at Feb 12, 2009 4:33:00 PM
Actually, they originally planned to market a more virile and more solid product, distilled from the excretory offerings of the male of the species. But then they realized they could not patent that because of abundant prior art, primarily in the field of politics.
Posted by: at Feb 12, 2009 4:36:03 PM
I personally remember tasting an Italian beverage named "Beverly" at the Atlanta Coca-Cola factory tour.
It was horrible.
Posted by: Economic Geography at Feb 12, 2009 4:56:27 PM
non-carbonated, no artificial sweeteners: what's not to like?
Posted by: wumhenry at Feb 12, 2009 6:00:31 PM
How about: Got Urine?
Posted by: Jill at Feb 12, 2009 7:13:47 PM
It can't taste any worse than the chinotto soda I once had. Absolutely the foulest thing I have ever tasted.
Posted by: Joshua Holmes at Feb 12, 2009 9:14:45 PM
It can't taste any worse than the chinotto soda I once had. Absolutely the foulest thing I have ever tasted.
Posted by: Joshua Holmes at Feb 12, 2009 9:14:55 PM
You're in for a surprise:
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/urine.htm
Posted by: John B. Chilton at Feb 12, 2009 9:54:21 PM
Camel urine can be readily found for sale across the Middle East, again largely for religious and health reasons.
Posted by: yaku at Feb 13, 2009 1:21:04 AM
Drinking urine (one's own or animal's) is pretty common in Eastern cultures. Morarji Desai, Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979, told Dan Rather that he drank 50 ml of his own urine every morning. Also, look at this (from Wikipedia):
In Sunni Islam, the Sahih Bukhari, which forms one of the six major Hadith collections, has also advocated drinking camel urine as a medicine.[4][5][6]
Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 71, Number 590:[4]
“ Narrated Anas: The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When the news reached the Prophet, he sent some people in their pursuit. When they were brought, he cut their hands and feet and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron.
Posted by: Ned at Feb 13, 2009 9:01:54 AM
You're in the money, you're in the money.
Posted by: John B. Chilton at Feb 13, 2009 10:23:11 AM
This is what I call THE clash of civilizations. Not ideologies, but beverages make nations allies or adversaries.
Posted by: Pavel Kohout at Feb 13, 2009 10:27:04 AM
Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty too,"
Already better than Zima...
Posted by: BL at Feb 13, 2009 2:08:49 PM
Perhaps it goes well with Camel Milk Chocolate bars. http://www.al-nasma.com/
Posted by: spas in upstate new york at Feb 14, 2009 2:14:58 PM
