Brilliant Sushi Chain Invents Rice-Flavored Soda

Japan is a wonderland of strange and delicious soda flavors. Stores have come out with everything from salted watermelon soda to eel-flavored soda. Some of those flavors are better than others, but one Japanese conveyor-belt sushi chain just came out with a new soda that is flavored like sushi rice.

According to Rocket News 24, the Shari Cola is a carbonated beverage made with white rice and a bit of rice vinegar. It debuted on July 29 at the Kura Zushi chain of conveyor-belt sushi restaurants.

The sushi rice-flavored soda is white and fizzy, and it was designed to be a tasty sushi pairing for people of all ages, which is useful because kids who like sushi can't exactly pair it with beer or sake. It's made with malted rice, which gives it a slightly sweet flavor, and the restaurant says the soda is basically a health drink because it contains nine essential amino acids, thanks to the malted rice and vinegar.

The Shari Cola went on sale at Kura Zushi restaurants around Japan on July 29, and a glass can be had for just 194 yen, or about $1.84.