I can believe it's not 'bena!

There are some brands that really define the product: Jacob's Cream Crackers, Terry's Chocolate Orange, and Branston Pickle, to name but a few. There are many generic copies but they never taste quite right. This "startling" discovery was brought home to me a few minutes ago when I made myself some hot blackcurrant. Now, normally, I would of course use Ribena -- the blackcurrant cordial of choice in the UK. But I don't have any. And the nearest over-priced UK supplies store is 6 km away. And I've run out of green tea and I really wanted a non-caffeinated beverage now. So, I had to buy a French sirop de cassis from Deen, and it's ... okay. Yes, it's hot and blackcurranty and vaguely sweet and definitely coats your teeth with syrupy, sugary goodness, but it's not Ribena. And it never will be.