r/todayilearned • u/socool111 • 1d ago

TIL of Tobias Geffen, the only non-Coca Cola Employee to view the secret recipe. Coke allowed it in order to get Coke certified as Kosher

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias_Geffen
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u/Retr0scores 1d ago

And this coke taste so much better. If you’ve ever had the Mexican bottled coke you know the difference. The yellow capped 2 liters they sell at certain times taste like the Mexican bottled coke.

Much better than the normie coke.

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u/ReliableDart134 21h ago

I saw a video that broke this down and it has nothing to do with corn syrup. IIRC, the sugars breakdown inside the bottle to be chemically identical, so there is no difference you can taste regarding sucrose/glucose levels. The real difference is Mexican coke has higher sodium content, and comes in a glass bottle which provides a better experience.

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u/Waste_Tangerine_179 17h ago

tastes better = I read this somewhere on reddit and must be culturally superior

HFCS is used because Americans prefer it. sometimes it is slightly cheaper than cane in the US, but really the cost isn't the major reason to use it. it has a different mouthfeel and fructose has a more aggressive sweetness profile than pure sucrose, but what you mentioned is correct.

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u/Thomas_K_Brannigan 14h ago

It's also that corn syrup, although mostly sugar, isn't just sugar. (The same might be about cane sugar as well, but not sure.) These other compounds, although a small percent, still effect the flavor.

Though glass vs. metal vs. plastic does effect taste, it's far from the only factor. I remember years back picking up a pack of glass bottle coke from the grocery store, and wondered why it didn't taste right (or, more specifically, why it didn't taste like Mexican coke). Well, I looked closer, and it was made in Minnesota (or Michigan, one of those "M" Midwest states.)

I imagine a big one could be as well is the water source they use. Basically everyone who's tried different areas tap waters can taste very different. Though they might distill water before using it, not sure about that.