Since moving to the United States, Traveler Bill Industries’ Director of Information Technology Matilda Dundee-Read has been going on and on and on about how the Coca Cola® in Australia is so far superior to Coca Cola® found here in the good ole US of A. She surmised it was due to the high fructose corn syrup that is used in it’s manufacture here (and virtually no where else). As I have no recollection of when Coke® made the switch from cane sugar I was left unable to defend our national beverage’s honor.
But to our rescue comes the Jewish faith and the impending holiday of Passover. I’ll not go into the details, but suffice to say that high fructose corn syrup is definitely NOT Kosher for Passover. So at this time of year the Coca Cola® company makes their Coke® with sucrose as a sweetener. So presented for your enjoyment the Traveler Bill Industries Scientific Studies Division Project: Coke® Challenge 2009
The Challenge:
To compare the taste of Coca Cola® Classic™ with high fructose corn syrup, Coca Cola® Classic™ with sucrose. For the heck of it we decided to include Coca Cola Zero™ in the mix. Their commercials are tongue in cheek and claim that Coca Cola Zero™ has stolen the taste of Coke®.
The Method:
It was decided that this would be a blind taste test with Matilda and I serving as esch others assistant and server. Matilda has designs upon creating her own blog entry on this test so I will only be addressing my own experience as the taste test subject.
The three beverages would be presented to the subject in identical red cups marked with an arrow and a digit on the side of the cup. The botton of the cup would bear the mark of either a C, K or Z. A “C” for the cup that contained Coca Cola® Classic™ with high fructose corn syrup. A “K” for the Kosher Coca Cola® Classic™ with sucrose and a “Z” for Coca Cola Zero™. Between each beverage I would eat a Guiltless Gourmet baked tortilla chip as a palate cleanser.
The Taste Test:
Here, is the photographic documentation of the Challenge.
The Results:
Turns out that despite my best efforts I was unable to distinguish between the Coke® made with sucrose and the one with high fructose corn syrup. Coke Zero™, on the other hand, was completely obvious. In all fairness the ads only say the taste is similar. Compared to Diet Coke® it does taste more like Coca Cola® classic, but nothing like it at the same time.
The Postscript:
If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to sponsor Team TRAVELER BILL in the American Heart Association’s 2009 Wall Street Heart Walk and Run. You can donate online at the link in the left hand column of this website.