What's in a Name

At one point in my career I made frequent trips to Japan. There I partook of many local foodstuffs but never opened a bottle of Calpis, not only because there were many other excellent drinks to be sampled but also because of the name, which in English sounds like the product of bovine micturation (or worse).

In the American market the bottles have been re-labeled as the more-palatable-sounding Calpico. Yesterday, I finally popped the top. The milky uncarbonated concoction was pleasant-tasting--slightly sweet with no chemical aftertaste. Because it's $2.69 for 1.5 liters and has near-zero nutritional value, it's unlikely I'll be buying it again. I drank about half the bottle and will try the rest with vodka, which makes every drink taste better.