Fruit Juice vs Fruit Punch
Very mention of fruit juice or fruit punch fills one with excitement as these beverages not just provide a lot of energy, they are also delicious. Different people have preferences in terms of fruit they like for their fruit juice, and this is the reason that we find in the market so much variety in fruit juices as well as fruit punches. But hey, we are moving ahead without realizing there are scores who do not know the difference between fruit juice an fruit punch. There are many who treat punch as something totally different but the very fact that they are specifically called fruit punches indicates that they contain a little fruit juice. Let us find out the differences.
Fruit Juice
Mankind has known and relished fruit juices since time immemorial. Typically, fruit juice is made at home as it is served fresh and made from fruit pulp that is mashed with either hands or some kind of machine running on electricity. Though one may add sugar or salt according to his liking, fruit juice is always the liquid extract of a single or a number of fruits. This is the naturally occurring liquid inside a fruit, and one has to macerate or extract this liquid from the pulp of the fruit mechanically to make his fruit juice. However, there are juices being made of even vegetables because of their health benefits. So whenever you hear of the term fruit juice, you can be pretty sure to get fresh extract of the pulp of a fruit.
Fruit Punch
Punch is a word that has been derived from Hindi paanch or panch and literally means addition of 5 things to make an exciting beverage out of a fruit juice. Today the word punch has become generic to describe lots of drinks that may include even alcoholic drinks. But mostly one hears about fruit punch which contains some fruit juice and many other things. Traditionally, punch is served in parties and large gatherings but one can get a fruit punch in a market as well. With passage of time, sailors have assimilated Jamaican rum in fruit punch and it has become very popular as an alcoholic drink.
So punch is in general any assortment of drinks that have been mixed together, usually containing fruit juice in small proportions. However, there are fruit punches that contain 100% fruit juices but as they are of different fruits, one gets a totally different flavor. One big difference between a fruit juice and fruit punch is that while fruit juice is a drink made from the pulp of a single fruit, punch is a mixture containing two or more fruit juices. However, this distinction is getting blurred in modern times as one gets to taste fruit juices that are made with a combination of fruits (similar tasting).
Summary
One thing is for sure, you will get fruit juice when you buy a canned drink with the label of fruit juice but you cannot be certain to be drinking fruit juice when consuming fruit punch as it may contain only flavors. So a fruit punch may range from zero to 100% fruit juice. It is common to see the percentage of fruit juice mentioned on the can. A fruit drink (or a fruit punch) can even claim to contain no fruit juice but only flavors. So if you are in a mood to have some nourishment, be careful to read the ingredients on the bottle of the fruit drink you are buying.