Passover Coca Cola: How to Spot the “Chase” Versions
John H. was kind enough to finally explain the Passover Coca Cola thing but also how to spot it in your supermarket …
“Most of the year Coca Cola is Kosher and can be consumed with a Kosher meal, but ever since the major US bottlers switched to high fructose corn syrup as a sugar substitute, the Coke that many of us grew up with containing real sugar has only been available as a Mexican import. (Costco and a few others)
Since nothing made from corn can be consumed during Passover, even usually Kosher Coke is not drinkable during the holidays. So in recent years, for about three weeks leading up to Passover, bottlers in several larger US markets switch back to the old formula. Mostly available in 2L Coke and Diet Coke, this special sugar based Coke can be distinguished by their yellow caps. (instead of the red and silver caps of regular Coke)
Today I had to visit three Ralph’s markets (Kroger) in the Los Angeles area before finding a store that had some. As usual the store hasn’t a clue, the bottlers don’t seem to tell the stores that they are getting Passover Coke, they just mix it in; are you listening Mattel? If your store has Passover Coke, now is the time to go looking for it; it will be randomly mixed in with the regular 2L bottles of Coke and Diet Coke. Last year was exactly the same. Since a 2L bottle costs about the same as a 12oz glass bottle of Mexican Coke, it is worth stocking up. We are just now finishing last year’s supply so it seems to keep pretty well. (in a cool dark closet) The Coke stash also bolsters our earthquake preparedness supplies!”
Thanks, “John H.” I was always confused as on all the Coke cans, you can normally see a K or U symbol indicating it’s kosher so I was always puzzled when the Passover issue was brought but now I finally understand … and I’ll be on the lookout for the Passover cap.
Thanks, John!
For those who have missed the whole Mexican-Coke cane sugar thing, here’s a recap from our earlier posts …
Made with real cane sugar – as it should be – available at Costco (in parts of the country).
You get 24 BOTTLES (12 oz each) for $16.99 + recycling deposit. Best deal at Costco – you can find it in other places – usually closer to $20 for the 24 pack.
Does it taste better? Oh yeah. Of course, there’s no corn syrup aftertaste.
Coke corporate claims it tastes the same … why did they switch? Because corn syrup prices are much more stable. They switched over in the 1970’s. They were tired of price flucuations … but corn syrup is NOT cane sugar when it comes to baking desert items – just like margarine is NOT butter no matter how you try to slice it.
Of course, corn futures are up about 100% from last year so let’s put the corn in our oil and gas tanks and only sugar cane in our Cokes! You can do it!
And yes, cane sugar is not health food but it doesn’t have that corn aftertaste, that’s the difference.
Speaking of health foods, you can actually fry Coca Cola … here’s the recipe or you can read the history of it at SuperSizedMeals.com.
11 April 2011
14 Comments
After a four year absence, Passover Coke is finally back in the West. It needed to be reformulated to meet a change in California law. Found regular and diet yesterday at Target and at Ralph’s, (Kroeger.)
(MET: Of course, there’s the ones in the bottle at warehouse clubs (best deal) or singles at most grocery stores).
I like the Throwback Pepsi and it is available year-round for normal pop price. The Mexican Coke is good, but the glass bottles are a PITA and it is expensive at Costco. Beet sugar tastes good to me and it is probably a more sustainable crop than cane. I love how our tax money goes to subsidizing corn, then they mandate more corn in our fuel, which decreases the energy per gallon of fuel, so we pay more to pay more…
Corn ethanol has got to be one of the biggest scams ever perpetuated in this country.
(MET: Yea, so far the corn for gasoline is like setting fire to a cornfield to eat popcorn …).
Met, Do you add tequlia or another beverage with you lemon/lime into your Diet Coke.
J/K
Great Site
(MET: Not usually – though sugar cane is also extra tasty as “rum,” (cachaça) & a lot of limes brilliantly invented by the Brazilians into a Caipirinha is mighty tasty and will make you feel all summery. Highly recommended for adults 🙂 ).
Keep in mind, although it says “Diet”, there is more caffiene in the product.
Also, why corn instead of sugar? http://www.sweetenerusers.org/Sugar%20Price%20Paper.pdf
I first saw this at my local Holiday Market (Spartan brand store) in Royal Oak a week ago. Had 2L on sale 4/$5. I liked it, but thought the glass bottled Mexican import taste better.
(MET: I wonder if it’s ‘beet sugar,’ does beet sugar qualify for Passover acceptable? BTW, throwback Pepsi is made with beet sugar not cane sugar).
The 2L I got has Sucrose instead of the HFCS that normal Coke has. The Coke imported from Mexico just has sugar listed, so I’m not sure if it’s beet or cane, or maybe they’re the same thing?
(MET: Mexico Coke has cane sugar since it’s the only sugar the government allows to be called sugar so we know that’s cane sugar … and generally, since cane sugar is considered the ‘best’ sugar, in the US, if someone uses cane sugar, they say so (as many smaller soda companies do such as HANSEN’s … but if it says ‘real sugar,’ it’s beet sugar … I believe sucrose is simply sugar syrup? I guess I’ll have to fit a 2L bottle and do the old taste test. 🙂 ).
Sure, it is all acceptable as long as rabbi was in vicinity of it lol
Can we add in that all of this corn syrup comes from genitically modified corn. Corn that the molecular structure has been altered and now can withstand and is sprayed with herbicides and pesticides? Of course the big food corporations have declared this isn’t a safety concern. Don’t worry about it. The changing of the food has nothing to do with the increase in cancers. Too bad regular citizens don’t get to have a say. They know better than to let me be in charge of food safety. 🙂 There would be fines levied and rule changes that’s for sure. Many chemicals would be out.
Then again you would probably just happen to drown in a bathtub in 3 inches of water or something like that if you did try to make a difference anyway. There be an investigation. No one important did anything wrong. Just a freak thing that happened you know.
Yep you should always believe those that are profiting from anything. The regular people with nothing the gain and that try to alert other people. Don’t listen to them and don’t bother to read the labels either. Those inorganic chemicals aren’t important. All the soy which is phytoestrogen too because children getting massive amounts of female hormones is supposed to be ok. Yes truth is really stranger than fiction. Infact I believe the truth of where man is headed is where they get the ideas for most of the fiction.
Just drink water or beer.
Aren’t Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, and the other new breeds of zero calorie versions acceptable replacements for the old sugar or corn syrup based soft drinks, if they’re a problem for Passover?
I’ll put Coke Zero Cherry up against any other cola out there for taste, and the elimination of unwanted sugar and calories just adds to the enjoyment.
Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper is also a wonderful addition to the lineup.
Didn’t drink Diet Coke or Pepsi because the aftertaste was horrible. Tried Coke Zero a few years ago and couldn’t tell much of difference between that and regular coke. Been drinking Coke Zero or Pepsi Max ever since. When I have a regular one though, it tastes too sweet.
(MET: Squeeze half a lime or lemon into Coke’s Diet product – much better … since Coke’s secret ingredients seem to be mostly citrus based, it enhances it … Pepsi’s secret ingredients do not seem to be citrus based so not much a difference there).
bobbyjack, you hit the nail on the head with your last sentence. My wife and I both find the regular stuff too sweet, and it’s even more so with the Mexico-produced Coke.
I would ask how many Passover Cokes would someone want in trade for a Brian Park Motors, but I bet it would cost a whole lot more to ship bottles of coke than toy cars!
Hey, could ship you few directly from Israel. NP.
not Brian, of course.