Misti Drinks: A Whole New Take on Local

       

              Norma, the founder of Misti, came to the United States from Peru eighteen years ago. One day, she decided to design a drink that was healthy, tasty, and had a connection to her home. So, she began experimenting with ingredients native to Peru such as corn nectar, agave, royal camu, and royal maca. With the help of the Yacht Club bottling company, Norma sells a variety of beverages at farmers’ markets in the Rhode Island area. What is interesting about Misti is that not all of the ingredients are from Rhode Island. Misti takes a new approach to the local food movement because even though some of the ingredients are imported, these plants are local to Peru, and are an integral part of Peru’s agriculture community and history. In addition, by supporting Misti, you support local farms not just in Rhode Island but on a global scale as well.

            Norma gets her ingredients through a connection to Whole World Botanicals. Dr. Vianna Muller, one of the founders, works to protect and support South American farmers. Many farms in South America face hardships due to international exploitation. Many farmers have struggled to stay in business because of biopiracy, that being where one country steals native seeds belonning to another country and grows them elsewhere. Biopiracy hurts the local agrarian economy of the seeds’ original country.  In addition, when seeds are stolen and grown in other countries, the traditions behind planting and harvesting are usually discarded. This jeopardizes the quality of the product. Whole World Botanicals is a foundation that works to support local farmers by practicing fair trade with them. In addition, the products that Norma gets from Whole World Botanicals products are all USDA organic.

         It is important to keep native plants in their native countries for many reasons. The first, from an environmental perspective, it that transplanting species into non-native countries is bad for the soil’s health and could result in other environmental issues such as non-native species dominating the native ones. Supporting these South American farms also helps prevents the farmers from being forced to start cultivating other crops or even illicit substances. Lastly, it’s also a good idea to support farmers who grow crops in their native locations because it also allots farming jobs to Peruvians, and it is important to maintain a vibrant farming community in all countries. Whole World Botanicals supports farmers that uphold to certain traditions such as harvesting certain plants during a full moon. Misti imports its ingredients from sources that support environmentally friendly and local farms in South America.

            However, Misti also has a Rhode Island local component. Misti is bottled by Yacht Club, a glass soda bottling company in Rhode Island. When Norma first started Misti, she met with Yacht Club, and the company helped get her business idea get off the ground. Now the Misti drinks are made and bottled on site in their North Providence factory. Misti drinks have no artificial color or preservatives. At the farmers’ markets, Norma also sells the original Yacht Club drinks because she likes the company and wants to support them as well.

          So, what is Misti? Misti is three different drinks. One is made out of purple corn extract, another is lime with royal camu, and there is also a strawberry drink with royal maca in it. Purple corn is grown along the coast and inland of Peru. Norma suggest drinking it for a variety of health benefits such as to reduce cholesterol, to support connective tissue, to help weight control, to balance blood sugar, and to act as an anti-inflammatory. The purple corn drink also comes in a carbonated form. Lime with royal camu is a drink that is suggested to support the immune system, mood balance, increase one’s energy, etc. Royal camu comes from a bush in the Amazonian rainforest of Peru. The bush has fruits that contain amino acids and vitamin C. Norma’s third creation, the strawberry with royal maca, is a drink that contains a lot of vitamin B1, B2, B12, calcium, and fatty acids. Royal Maca is from the Peruvian Maca root. It is known to improve stamina, the circulatory system, memory, and symptoms of depression. The flavors of the drinks are unfamiliar but delicious!

       I like the idea of supporting Norma’s drinks because there is a lot of creativity and care behind them. I was impressed to see how she was able to incorporate the local food movement into international relations and international farms. In addition, the drinks are good for you. They are a great alternative to sodas and sugary juices because they are all natural, organic, and do not have high fructose corn syrup in them.  If you feel parched at one of the farmers’ markets or while waiting in line at whole foods, pick up one of the Misti drinks and see for yourself what an ingenious creation this is!