Posted on 11/05/2004 11:11:37 PM PST by woofie
Coca-Cola. It may be the real thing, but not all Coke is created equal.
In parts of Albuquerque's South Valley, where Spanish is a primary language and many residents are transplants from Mexico, Coke is the drink of choice. But not the stuff that comes from bottling plants in the United States.
Those consumers prefer Coke from Mexico, and they swear there is a marked difference between the two. Putting their money where their taste buds are, they gladly pay between $1.09 and $1.39 for a half-liter bottle of Coke imported from south of the border. For the same price, shoppers at the larger grocery chains can buy plastic 2-liter bottles of American Coke.
A spokesman for Atlanta, Ga.-based Coca-Cola Co., however, says there is no appreciable difference in taste because the Coke formula is the same from bottling plant to bottling plant and country to country.
Mexican Coke aficionados don't agree.
"It's just sweeter. It tastes better," says Jesus Castro, owner of El Harradero Carniceria on Isleta Boulevard. "Most of the people who come into this store, about 98 percent of them, are from Mexico, and this is what they like," he says, pointing to a cooler with half-liter bottles of Coca-Cola imported from Mexico.
Customers at El Harradero buy about five cases of Mexican Coke daily, each case containing 24 bottles.
One customer, Carla McBride, tried a Mexican Coke for the first time. "It's smoother," she says. "It's more like a drink from an old-fashioned soda fountain."
Over at Familia Mexicana Carniceria on Bridge Boulevard, owner Ron Baca says his customers tell him they prefer the Mexican Coke because "it reminds them of the old Cokes we used to buy when we were kids."
Mart Martin, spokesman for Coca-Cola in Atlanta, has heard the comparisons before but can't explain them easily.
"The only difference is that the sweetener used in Mexico is cane sugar, and the sweetener used in the U.S. is high-fructose corn syrup. Both sugars deliver the same sweetness, the same sweet taste. The formula, which has been a secret for more than 100 years, is the same."
High-fructose corn syrup, by the way, delivers more calories in the same amount of sweetness.
Baca says Mexican Coca-Cola outsells all other soft drinks combined about 10 to 1 at his store. He goes through about 10 cases a day.
"It just has a better flavor," says customer Lucila Saenz, who is from Ciudad Juárez. "American Coke just doesn't taste the same."
The Carniceria Chihuahua on West Central Avenue does not keep track of how much Mexican Coke it sells, but a cashier says the store orders eight to 10 cases for every two to three cases of American Coke. In fact, she says, Mexican Coke sells better than all other sodas combined.
Customer Andrea Marrufo's opinion is typical: "Mexican Coke is thicker and sweeter. I've bought all kinds of Coca-Cola, but the Mexican Coke just tastes better."
Taste is a very complex sense, says Martin, the Coke spokesman. Some of the taste differences in the two Cokes, whether imaginary or real, may be affected by such factors as the food consumed with the drink, the size of the glass, the amount of ice in the glass and the temperature of the beverage when it is served.
"We work very hard to deliver a consistent product, and around the world a Coke is a Coke is a Coke," Martin says.
He thinks the preference some have for Mexican Coke is more about nostalgia than anything else.
But he will never convince the Coca-Cola connoisseurs in the South Valley.
I will only use pure cane granulated sugar; it it doesn't
state it on the label, I assume it's sugar beet sugar. It
takes a lot less of the pure cane granulated sugar than it
does the cheaper beet sugar. I like Domino. - I also use
raw sugar once in a while, raw honey, pure maple syrup.
The difference in the amount I have to use is what I
notice. Also, fructose isn't all that good for us and
high fructose corn syrup is making all of us fat, except
some of you lucky ones with atomic metabolisms.
I've ordered a quarter Travis, as far as finishing it goes... :)
We have Save a Lot stores here. They have a lot of
Mexican stuff since we have a lot Mexicans around this
area, but I can't read the labels. I've noticed they
are carrying cold drinks, but I still can't read what they
are.
Ya didn't get a weenie sucker did ya ?:o)
Mom can be mean if ya don't eat what ya order !
I don't think so. It really is better --- I didn't know about the sugar --- I thought it was because usually you buy it in a recycled greenish glass bottle instead of cans and plastic like here.
My eyes were bigger than my stomach. I stay away from them giant turkey legs at the fair too.
I remembered that --- still you get used to bottled Coke if you travel much through Mexico --- you really shouldn't drink the water and often Coke is about the only thing you find that's safe to drink. I normally don't drink soft drinks much though.
We have a store here in Dallas that sells Mexican Coca-Cola, and yes, there is a difference.
It's the Central Market HEB store, I go to the one in Plano off the Bush Turnpike at Coit.
Thanks..... I'm going to try it sometime. Unique stores those Central Markets of HEB.
In Mexico and other countries, there is no such ridiculous interference in the free market, and Coke is made with sucrose (cane sugar) as God intended. Sucrose is a more complex molecule, breaks down more slowly, and tastes way better.
We need to slap the sugar and corn barons down, and demand cheap cane sugar at world-market prices.
And they put that corn syrup swill in just about everything: check you ingredients labels.
I no longer eat bread, but when I did I was amazed that all ready made bread has corn syrup in it.
I used to make my own bread that beat anything store bought, and my bread had no sugar or corn syrup swill--and my bread tasted much better (and my bread wasn't squishy, either).
giggle
I must agree, Mexican coke tastes better. I always thought that it is appreciably sweeter. Used to buy it in 2-liter bottles. Mmmmmmgood!
Oh, and one of the dealiest (they call it "mortal" in Mexico) and worst tasting drink is US-made Diet Coke. Ugh!
We have the Mexican stuff at the 7-11's here in Dallas, and yes, the imported stuff made with cane sugar does indeed taste better.
Diet Coke is so removed, flavorwise, from its original that I can't understand why anyone would drink it. It doesn't taste like ANYTHING--even a diet version of anything. Wet chemicals!
I know. Get them to dump the sugar and eat something else. So many cute ladies going to waste...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.