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Chinotto Soda Recipe: A Must-Try Italian-American Drink!
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Mar 31, 2025
Discover the bold, bittersweet magic of Chinotto Soda, a truly unique Italian-American beverage! 🍊 In this episode of Eat Every Slice, we dive into the rich history and refreshing taste of this classic Italian soda made from the chinotto citrus fruit. Perfect for hot summer days or as a sophisticated non-alcoholic option for gatherings! In this easy-to-follow recipe, we'll walk you through how to make this iconic drink right at home. It's a must-try for anyone who loves authentic Italian flavors and artisan drinks. Ingredients You'll Need: Fresh chinotto oranges (or substitute with bitter orange) Sparkling water Sugar Lemon zest Herbal extracts (optional) Enjoy this refreshing recipe and let us know how yours turned out by leaving a comment below! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more delicious recipes and food stories from Eat Every Slice. 📌 Full recipe available here: 👉 Read the Recipe Follow us on social media for more recipes and food inspiration: 📸 Instagram: @EatEverySlice 📘 Facebook: Eat Every Slice
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0:00
hey everyone and welcome back for
0:01
another deep die this time we're taking
0:03
our taste buds on a trip to Italy oh ni
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to explore something truly unique uh
0:08
shodo soda interesting you might be
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thinking soda yeah that's pretty basic
0:13
right but trust me this isn't your
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typical sugary Fizz okay shodo has a
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history and a flavor profile that's way
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more complex than you might expect it's
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bittersweet citrusy okay and some even
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compare it to Drinks like Campari or
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tonic water but with The fruer Edge wow
0:31
we're going to unpack all of that
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uncover what makes choto so special and
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of course tell you where to find it and
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how to best enjoy it what's fascinating
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about shinado is that it starts with
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this small dark citrus fruit also called
0:44
shinado grown primarily in Italy and
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it's not as heart as a lemon or as sweet
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as an orange instead it has these
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slightly herbal and almost caramelized
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notes okay and that's what gives the
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soda its distinctive character see think
1:00
of it like this you know how Cola is
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sweet and straightforward and lemonade
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is part and refreshing well chinato is
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like their worldly cousin okay who has
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traveled the globe bringing back hints
1:14
of spice and a touch of mystery okay now
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I'm really intrigued yeah so we're
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talking sophisticated but in a bubbly
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refreshing format right you mentioned
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Campari before yeah is it similar to
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that it does have that Bittersweet
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complexity but it's definitely more
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mellow and rounded than something like
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compari you get those herbal almost
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earthy notes but they're balanced by a
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citrusy sweetness I see that makes it
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surprisingly versatile all right I'm
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sold on the flavor profile good but now
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I'm curious about the history oh right
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where did this unique drink even come
1:48
from the story actually starts in China
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H the chinato fruit itself was brought
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to Italy from China okay back in the
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19th century interesting hence the name
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but ially Italians weren't making soda
2:02
with it instead they used it for things
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like jams and marmalades which makes
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sense given those unique flavors so when
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did someone have the brilliant idea to
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turn this fruit into a
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soda it seems that the idea to
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transformed chinato into a feezy drink
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came a bit later by the mid 20th century
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chinato soda was a staple in Italian
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cafes and bars I see interestingly it
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was often enjoyed as a non-alcoholic
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alternative to bitter
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like appol it's fascinating how shinado
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filled that cultural Niche yeah a
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non-alcoholic option that wasn't just
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juice right but something with
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complexity and character exactly it
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really speaks to a culture that values
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taste and sophistication mhm even in
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everyday moments I agree but okay yeah
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knowing this Rich history makes me want
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to try it I bet where can we find this
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elusive beverage especially in the US
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you you might need to do a bit of
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hunting okay but it's definitely worth
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it all right Italian specialty stores
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are a great place to start as they often
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carry a good selection of imported sodas
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what about Gourmet markets yes I feel
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like those are becoming more common
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those are another excellent option okay
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Gourmet markets tend to carry more
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unique and artisanal products right so
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you might have better luck finding
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different brands of chinotto there now
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for those of us who don't have easy
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access to those kinds of stores are
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there any other options don't worry
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you're not out of luck okay even some
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larger supermarkets are starting to
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carry chinotto really usually Brands
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like San pelino and Peroni I see so it's
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worth checking the international aisle
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or specialty beverage section right and
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of course there's always online shopping
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right online retailers like Amazon are a
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treasure Trove for finding unique food
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and drinks yeah for sure plus there are
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always those online Italian food vendors
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exactly they might carry chinot to
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compliment their culinary offerings
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that's a great Point yeah you can often
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find smaller artisanal producers through
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those vendors so no matter where you
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live or how you prefer to shop there's a
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good chance you can track down some
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chado awesome yeah now let's talk about
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how to best enjoy this Italian gem okay
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found it right uh there are a few things
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that can really Elevate The choto
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Experience okay let's dive into that I'm
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all about maximizing flavor and
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presentation yeah what's the most
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important thing to remember when serving
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chinotto just like most sodas serving it
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ice cold is key okay that chill really
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brings out the refreshing quality of the
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drink and helps to balance those complex
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flavors so we're going for that crisp
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invigorating feeling exactly any other
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serving suggestions absolutely I'm
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always a fan of adding a little some
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extra a simple slice of orange or lemon
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not only enhances the visual peel but
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also adds a bright citrus note that
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compliments the existing flavors
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beautifully I love that it's not just
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about taste but also about creating a
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whole sensory experience right now I'm
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curious about food pairings we talked
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about chato's Bittersweet profile uh
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what kind of dishes would complement
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those flavors chinato is a fantastic
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match for Rich Italian dishes okay think
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pizza pasta with creamy sauces or even
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grilled Seafood that slight bitterness
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helps to cut through the richness I see
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creating a beautiful balance and
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cleansing your palette between bites so
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it's like a more sophisticated pallet
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cleanser than say a sip of water yeah
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exactly it actually adds to the overall
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flavor profile of the meal exactly and
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it allows you to fully Savor each bite
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without feeling overwhelmed by richness
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okay another classic pairing is a
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shakery board with aged cheeses and Pudo
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oh nice the saltiness of the meats and
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cheeses plays off the Bittersweet notes
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of the chinato beautifully yeah for
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those of us who like to get a little
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creative with our drinks sure do you
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think chinato could be used as a mixer
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in cocktails absolutely it's unique
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flavor profile makes it a surprisingly
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versatile cocktail ingredient mhm a
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classic and simple combination is
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chinato with Jin or Rum okay I'm
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intrigued what is it about those spirits
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that work so well with chinotto the
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Botanicals and Jin okay especially those
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with Citrus notes really complement the
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herbal and citrusy character of ch
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and for rum the sweetness of the rum
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finds a perfect CounterPoint in The
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Bitter Sweet notes of the soda I see
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Imagine The herbal notes of Jin playing
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off the Bittersweet Citrus of shinado or
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the rich sweetness of rum finding a
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perfect Counterpoint it's like a mini
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vacation and a glass those combinations
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sound incredibly refreshing yeah any
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suggestions for garnishing a chinato
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cocktail a sprit of Rosemary is always a
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nice touch okay it adds a fragrant and
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elegant element that compliments The
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herbal notes in both the chinotto and
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Jin mhm a lemon twist would also be a
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classic choice so we've covered Chino's
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being delicious on its own yeah a
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perfect companion to rich foods and even
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adaptable for cocktails right but what
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else makes this drink stand out why
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should someone who's never tried it
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before go on the hunt for a bottle
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what's truly captivating about chinato
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is that it offers a taste of Italian
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tradition okay it's a drink with history
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with character it's not your
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mass-produced overly sweet beverage it's
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something special something with depth
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it sounds like chado is more than just a
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drink yeah it's an experience a way to
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connect with Italian culture for sure
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and appreciate a truly unique flavor
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precisely and for those who appreciate
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craft sodas and are looking for
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something beyond the usual Cola or
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lemonade shenado is a real gem so to
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recap we've learned that chodo is a
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refreshing alternative yes to typical
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soda flavors right a delicious way to
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connect with Italian culture and an
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impressive choice for those who
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appreciate artisanal beverages it's
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delicious on its own yeah pairs well
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with food absolutely and could even be
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used in cocktails that's right what more
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could you ask for it really does tick
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all the boxes I think anyone who enjoys
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exploring new flavors and expanding
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their palette would find shanat worth
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seeking out well there you have it folks
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chinato soda a taste of Italian
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tradition a refreshing sip of history
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and a guaranteed conversation starter
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absolutely we hope this deep dive has
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inspired you to go on a little chado
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adventure of your own and remember it's
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all about exploration and Discovery yeah
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if you find an amazing shinado cocktail
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recipe oh yeah or discover a brand you
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love we want to hear about it exactly
8:50
connect with us on social media or visit
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our blog website that's right
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www.life.com for more food Adventures re
8:59
recipes and to share your chado
9:01
experiences so cheers to trying new
9:03
things and expanding our flavor Horizons
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