Pink Ting

Pink Ting – what comes to mind when you say these words?

If you are Jamaican, then immediately you are back home with the dialect.  The Jamaican word “Ting” translates into English as “Thing”.  If you are not Jamaican, you are probably at a loss.  So what is Pink Ting?

Pink Ting

Ting is a Grapefruit Crush soft drink made with concentrated grapefruit juice and pulp.  It was launched by Jamaica’s main brewer and beverage producer, Desnoes and Geddes (D&G), in 1976.  Then Ting was made with locally sourced Jamaican grapefruit.  Now Ting is made from grapefruit sourced mainly within the Caribbean. 

The grapefruit flesh is segmented and acidic, varying in colours that include white, pink, and red pulps.  Generally, the redder varieties are the sweetest.  This tart and tangy fruit with its underlying sweetness has a juiciness that rivals that of the orange. 

Ting is available in two colours, the regular Ting in a green bottle or can and Pink Ting in a clear bottle. 

Regular Ting

After its launch, Ting was soon being exported to more than 20 other countries, beginning with Barbados.  Interestingly there is debate about the origins of the grapefruit.  Some say it originated in Jamaica while others site Barbados.  One story of the fruit’s origin is that a certain “Captain Shaddock” brought pummelo seeds to Jamaica and bred the first fruit, which were then called shaddocks.  The name Captain Shaddock apparently referred to Captain Chaddock who traded in the West Indies in the 17th century.  So grapefruit probably originated as a naturally occurring hybrid between the two citrus plants. 

The demand for Ting creates a cycle of events which culminates in the growing of grapefruit plants to create the delicious refreshing grapefruit juice.  Since 2000 the demand for Ting doubled resulting in doubled demand for the grapefruit juice.  However, the Jamaican grapefruit trees were becoming old and diseased as little re-planting took place.  So the citrus farmers were supplied with propagated grapefruit seedlings in exchange for all their available grapefruit guaranteed at world grapefruit price.  The trees take 4 years to grow and mature in the rich Jamaican soil and fruit in the Jamaican sunshine.  

Red Grapefruit

This is why “Ting Grapefruit Soda” is promoted as a little island sunshine in a bottle.

In Jamaica I remember eating half a grapefruit most mornings as a breakfast fruit.  The grapefruit would be cut in half, the sections loosened from the peel and each other by a paring knife.  We got rid of the sour taste by adding brown sugar and at times condensed milk. 

With Condensed Milk

Ting has also been known to be mixed with citrus vodka to create Ving, an alcoholic version of the drink.  The drink consists of approximately 1 part Citrus Vodka and 2 parts Ting, but you can create your special drink with your own mix ratio.  There are other recipes for mixes such as Risky Ting, Ginger Ting and Likkle Ting.  Have a look around. 

So what is Pink Ting?  Pink Ting is a Jamaican beverage created with concentrated Caribbean grapefruit juices, pink grapefruit juice and pulp. 

Never tasted Pink Ting or used it in your cocktail mix? Then time for a little adventure.  

Try these mixes or create your own cocktail mix and share with us.  Buy and Try: 

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