I was under the impression that sugar-based Coca-Cola can still be had in America if you purchase Coca-Cola that is certified Kosher for Passover (it’s available in areas with larger Jewish populations at that time of year).
Since Jews of eastern European descent (Ashkenazi) do not consume corn products on Passover, I thought that Coca-Cola does manufacture (or import) sugar-based beverages for this purpose. They certainly charge enough for the privilege.
If that’s the case, speaking from experience with the Passover-compatible product, I personally can’t tell the difference between HFCS Coca-Cola and sugar Coca-Cola. The fact that I have an addiction to the stuff notwithstanding.
And lest someone thing **Amblydoper **is being politically incorrect, it is, in fact, bottled in Mexico…so the name is accurate. And it is stocked on the shelves (at both our local supermarket and at Target) as “Mexican Coke”.
Personally, I don’t taste the difference. The same is not true of Pepsi; to me there is a huge difference between ‘regular’ Pepsi and Pepsi Throwback.
This has come up before, and you often get people on the non-tasting side who swear vociferously that the they are correct and that those who taste a difference are making it up or whatever.
I can taste the difference - but its pretty subtle. To me, real sugar coke has a sweeter up front taste that decays more quickly than its HFCS counterpart. The same is also true when talking about Pepsi or Mtn Dew throwback.
Some people seem to be able to tell the difference, some people don’t. Not that big a deal, really - they (Pepsi and Coke) have done a pretty good job of taste matching, so its not surprising that many people can’t tell the difference (or, perhaps don’t really care enough to discern - and thats fine too).
The biggest difference I notice with HFCS Coke or any other HFCS soft drink is that it feels like there’s some kind of film in my mouth after drinking it. Maybe it’s just me. To make it palatable I have get it from a soda fountain with lots of ice. Mexican Coke doesn’t leave the film in my mouth and tastes a bit ‘crisper’ to me.
Mexican Coke is readily available here in San Diego (no surprise there). I can pick up single half liter glass bottles at Home Depot for the same price as a 20oz plastic HFCS bottle.
I had wondered why stores would import Coca-Cola from Mexico, when it’s readily available domestically. I figured it was that it came in the glass bottles instead of cans or plastic.
It’s certainly possible as far as taste goes. I haven’t tried a blind test. I still avoid the HFCS drinks (and pancake syrup, etc.) because of the filmy issue but I’m not a huge soda drinker to begin with. For the most part I go with beer, black coffee, tea or water depending on the circumstances. Sometimes I also negate the filmy feeling by adding plenty of rum, ice and lime to my coke.
To me the difference is quite obvious, as obvious, say, as the difference between salt and MSG. Maybe not so much in Coca-Cola – I don’t drink it that often – but definitely in Dr Pepper. Living in the NYC suburbs, I see the Passover switch to real sugar every year.
I have, and I can tell whether there’s HFCS or sugar in it. This is for both Coke and Pepsi. I much prefer the sugar versions rather than HFCS. Coke tastes way more acidic with HFCS to me.
Both beet sugar and cane sugar can appear in ingredient lists as simply “sugar,” but it’s also fairly common for sodas made with cane sugar to specify that. Presumably brands that say only “sugar” are open to using either or both depending on supply. I don’t have a Mexican Coke bottle handy (though I do get it sometimes) to see whether they specify cane or not.
My suspicion is that refined white beet sugar is going to be indistinguishable from refined white cane sugar even for those who readily taste the difference between white sugar and HFCS.
As far as I know beet sugar is always refined to white for human consumption, whereas cane sugar can be had in a range of refinement states. I’m not sure if the various descriptions of intermediate products (“ground whole cane sugar,” “evaporated cane juice,” etc.) are rigorously defined or not, but I can say that some products made with those are noticeably different from similar products made with white sugar. That stands to reason; I can taste that difference in my tea and coffee and baked goods too.
I don’t know about taste, but I know someone who claims* she is allergic to cane sugar but not beet sugar. So there is some difference in refined white sugar, or else when those products are used in industrial processing, they aren’t refined as much.
*I have no personal or medical knowledge of any of her allergies, only can go by what she says.
I am drinking a bottle of the Mexican coca cola as we speak the label does indeed say just sugar and yes there is a distinct taste difference the Mexican coca cola is a lot smoother than that made with hfcs while i like both I do have a bias towards the mexican coca cola i love my glass bottles
