# What is Coca-cola?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coca-cola/269775
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 18, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coca-cola/269775 "2004-10-18T03:42:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coca-cola/269775/1 "2004-10-18T03:42:09Z")
I’ve seen these books with popular questions and one on the cover is “What is Coca-cola?” I searched the archive no joy… I know one of the ingredients in raisin juice… what’s the rest?
---
### Author:  [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coca-cola/269775/2 "2004-10-18T03:44:29Z")
[Raisin/Prune Juice In Soda](http://www.snopes.com/business/secret/drpepper.asp)
Coca-Cola is water, sugar, corn syrup and various other ingredients (the “special flavor,” citric acid, phosphoric acid, caffeine, etc.).
---
### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coca-cola/269775/3 "2004-10-18T03:49:41Z")
> [@Thinktank](#):
>
> … I know one of the ingredients in raisin juice…
How do you know that Coca Cola contains grape juice?
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coca-cola/269775/4 "2004-10-18T03:59:46Z")
I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coca-cola/269775/5 "2004-10-18T04:49:32Z")
Coca-cola, like most colas, is carbonated water, corn syrup, caramel coloring, caffeine, and “cola” flavoring. Cola is not based on the actual cola plant; it’s a mixture of vanilla, cinnamon, and various citric flavors. The unique taste of each brand is based on the exact proportions they mix for their cola flavoring. Coke supposedly uses more orange; Pepsi uses more lemon. I’ve never heard any speculation that grape was a flavoring; it’d be unlikely Coke could add such an unusual ingredient without it being noticible.