Mexican Coke vs. American Coke

There is a battle brewing, my friends. One between soft drinks made with corn syrup and ones made with cane sugar. The war goes back (and please don't quote me on any of this) to agriculture, with the United States being a prime climate for corn, not sugar. Corn syrup is made through processing corn starch and is widely used to sweeten products, including but not limited to, soda. Cane sugar on the other hand comes from tropical climates, like Brazil, is more heavily taxed as an import, and is a more natural way to sweeten foods as the cane sugar juice is heated to produce a syrup, where as corn starch requires additional processing (the addition of enzymes) to produce corn syrup. With both being sugars, and neither being a great source of anything but empty calories and deliciousness, the case for either remains strong.



Mexican Coke (left) vs American Coke (right)



With sodas, many organic flavors and imported sodas use cane sugar and many of the American mainstay beverages use corn syrup. Since Coke in my town is available in both American and Mexican styles, I am able to provide some insight into a taste comparison between the two.

First impression is the bottle. The Mexican Coke bottle is larger, 12oz (355ml) and bears a better resemblance to the classic Coke bottle shape. American Coke, the bottles I tested, were smaller, albeit cuter, but only contained 8oz (237ml). The Mexican bottle size is preferable, offering that additional 4oz that I'm particularly used to in one container as opposed to opening two separate American bottles to get a similar amount.

Moving to the first sip. They are distinctively different. The Mexican Coke fizzes as it hits your tongue and bites. The taste is less powerful than its American counterpart but very smooth, enveloping the entire mouth. American Coke, on the other hand, sits on your tongue an extra split second, coating it, lubricating your mouth as it spreads all the way down the back of the throat. Even the bubbles feel bigger; while the Mexican Coke fizzes the American bubbles. The tastes are very different as well, subtle enough to make both Classic Coke but overt enough so that anyone can tell the difference.

From a health perspective, the Mexican bottle came in at 150 calories compared to 100 calories for the American - meaning that equal volumes would contain equal calories. And really when it comes down to the other components outside of cane sugar or corn syrup, the two sodas are alike (carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors and caffeine). So is there really a clear leader? Yes, Mexican cane sugar is less processed, but isn't supporting corn farmers part of the American way?

Anyway, my roommate tried them both and could tell there was a difference and claimed to like the American a little better...which was the same conclusion I came to as well. So for me, it'll be American Coke, the taste that maybe because I grew up with it, is a little more what I envision a Coke to be.

La Semana de Gaseosas - Dia Cinco: Goya Fruit Punch

En la ultima dia de la Semana de Gaseosas, voy a revistar un otro producto de Goya y mi segun "fruit punch." Puedo comparar los dos. Quiero decir que esta semana fue muy divertido y trate unas gaseosas que no habia tratado sin la aydua de mi hermano porque me dio los Jarritos. Necesito visitarle pronto y comprar los Jarritos Mandarin. El me dio una botella de Madarin pero fue demasiado irresistible que no puedo esparar; lo bebi antes de revistarlo para el blog.

Refresco es la verdad!

Goya Fruit Punch is my second (for those who don't read Spanish) fruit punch this week. The inspiration behind this possible first of more theme weeks to come was an original delivery by my brother of a few bottles of Jarritos, including a pineapple and a madarin. Seeing that I drank those two before being able to have a Jarritos Week, I filled in the two empty spots with Goya. Not a bad choice at all and I like being able to do my first comparison, but Goya is bottled in New Jersey and is made with high-fructose corn syrup; Jarritos comes from Mexico and has cane sugar. I'm wondering if the difference will be noticeable in the two fruit punch options I was able to find.

It is. Not in a bad way, but in the same way you can taste the difference between regular and Mexican Coke. The Goya Fruit Punch is a little heavier. It is very sweet and reminds me of fruit punch drinks from my youth more than a soda because the carbonation is not intense and the aftertaste is an unidentifiable mixture of fruit flavors delivering that classic fruit punch flavor. The soda does not "pop" like the Jarritos did but the Goya Fruit Punch is smooth and steady, giving you exactly what you expect.

Now the comparison and it's a no brainer, the Jarritos is the winner. Not to say the Goya doesn't taste good but the Jarritos has more bubbles, a better bottle design, is sweeter but uses cane sugar, and is unpredictable where as the Goya is, like I said, exactly what you expect. I do think my review is tainted by the fact that twice in the same week I've had fruit punch sodas, so as a note to self I should not do same-week reviews like this because previous tastes might incite a bias in my opinions.

From the company: 12 oz has 190 calories, 0g of fat, 49g of carbs, 49g de azucar y 0g protein

La Semana de Gaseosas - Dia Cuatro: Jarritos Toronja

Desde fui un nino, me gusta azucar. Cuando estaba un nino siempre puse azucar en cereal, en fruitas y en muchos otras cosas pero solamente una cosa que no puedo recordar comiendo sin azucar: toronja. Tengo amigos que le gustan mucho la toronja pero a mi no me encanta porque es muy agrio. No me gusta beber los jugos toronja tambien. No odio la toronja, puedo ver los beneficios para el corazon y contra al cancer, y las fruita tiene vitamin C, que es muy buneo. Pero con esta gasoesa, no se que esperar.

"Make way for grapefruit. Go
grapefruit!" - Milhouse

Bam! This soda delivers. Despite not loving grapefruit, this soda is delicious. Maybe it's my adult taste buds, maybe its this blend of carbonated water and citrus toronja madness, maybe it's the sugar, but Jarritos Toronja is a refreshing blast of cool grapefruit. It has the grapefruit taste I remember from childhood but the overwhelming sour is missing, possibly obscured by the 54 grams of sugar! The soda is lively, jumps down your throat and the bubbles are just right. I guzzled a third of the bottle before I realized I needed to stop and its good right down to the last sip.

I wasn't a grapefruit hater before, and I'm still not an enthusiast, but I can see myself reaching for a grapefruit soda every once in an attempt to capture a taste of something different. I know there are a few brands out there that make grapefruit soda and I think before the week is out I may review another because this bottle is empty and I still crave a little more.

From the company: 8 oz has 110 calories, 0g of fat, 28g of carbs, 27g de azucar y 0g protein

La Semana de Gaseosas - Dia Tres: Goya Pineapple

Si me conoce, sabe que una de mis bebidas mas favoritas es una pina colada. Muy sabrosa! Cuando estaba en Las Vegas, solamente bebi pina coladas. Me gusta mucho las pinas, especialmente con marshmallow (no se la palabra correcta pero pina y marshmallow es muy delicioso!). He tomado gaseosas de pina antes, sin embargo soy muy cansado para tratar un producta nueva para mi: Goya.

SpongeBob doesn't live in
this pineapple

Luckily, my local mercado carries Goya sodas so I have a few to look forward to this week, including something called Cola Champagne...hmmm. Tonight it's the pineapple and I popped the screw on top old school and right off the bat was hit with a refreshing burst of pineapple mist. I couldn't resist, instantly grabbed for the first sip and was rewarded with a smooth pineapple surge of bubbles. The taste hits you right after that and it is very pineapple, minus that pinapple juicy wetness that makes the fruit one of my favorites. And I guess that is something I hold against the soda, that despite its spot-on pineapple taste it pales in comparison to the real thing. Other sodas have tastes that aren't easily replicated in nature however this is one of those rare cases. Don't get me wrong, the soda is a perfect pineapple but if I'm going to have a carbonated beverage I'm going to choose one that satisfies my craving for a soda and doesn't make me wish I just had piece of fruit instead.

From the company: 12 oz has 170 calories, 0g of fat, 43g of carbs, 43g de azucar y 0g protein

La Semana de Gaseosas - Dia Dos: Jarritos Tamarind

Primero, que es un tamarind? Fui al Internet para apprender que un tamarind es una fruita de Africa y tiene muchas usas, pero in este caso, la furita madura es dulce y usa en jugo, helado, y marmaleda.

My brother, having tried these flavors prior to me, was also confused about the origins of the tamarind. The first thing that strikes you about this soda, other than its name, is its color. It's like a dirty, orange, brown, and let's hope it's not that Mexican goodness. The color is not off putting however, since I have never seen a tamarind and they could very well be the same color. For this, Jarritos benefits from my ignorance.

"You know I don't speak
   Spanish, in English please"

Popping the bottle I had no expectations but nothing could have prepared me for what I tasted: nothing. The soda had no taste. The most peculiar thing and honestly, as I sit here drinking it I must be dreaming. It hits your lips...nothing. It hits your tongue...OK, there's something. It's as if you're drinking ginger ale and that first sip is uber fizzy. But then there's nothing. No taste. No aftertaste. No dulce. No fruit. I am more perplexed by tamarinds now than before.

I look at the label. Ingredients: carbonated water, natural sugar, citric acid, natural flavor (tamarind?), caramel color (ah that's what it is), and sodium benzoate. What is going on here? Is Jarritos messing with me? Right now my stomach is full of a soda I never tasted. I just burped. Nothing!

I highly suggest trying this soda just to try a soda with no taste. If there is a flavor I'm missing, can someone with a more refined palate please let me know what I'm supposed to be tasting?

From the company: 8 oz has 110 calories, 0g of fat, 29g of carbs, 29g de azucar y 0g protein

**UPDATE** I told my brother that it had no taste and he said I drank it when it was too cold. I don't know how to take that.

La Semana de Gaseosas - Primer Dia: Jarritos Fruit Punch

En el primer dia de gaseosas, voy a beber Jarritos Fruit Punch. Mi hermano me dio cinco botellas para mi cumpleanos pero bebi dos antes podia revistarlos. Me gusta tratar gaseosas neuvas pero nunca pienso que hay bastante gaseosas para toda semana. Asi, esta semana es "La Semana de Gaseosas."

Having not much base of comparison for a few of these flavors (what is tamarind?) I will just provide basic reviews and opinions on flavor. I could not find a Jarritos, or Goya, cherry cola, so these flavors will be taken on a case by case basis, with the exception of any that I can compare. Fruit punch for instance, I have in both Jarritos and Goya.

Jarritos means "little jugs"

Now, to the Jarritos Fruit Punch. Jarritos is Mexico's national soft drink, according to their website and I have to say, of the first day of this Soda Week, I'm blown away. Did you click the link? Did you view their website? They have eleven flavors. Eleven. I can't get wrapped up in that right now and I just need to stick to this review, this soda, this gorgeous bottle of Jarritos Fruit Punch.

First, the bottle. Jarritos brand name and logo on the bottle in glass. The label itself is sort of plain but the bottle shape is unique. The cap was not twist off and for some reason, with this product possibly coming from Mexico, it made me confident of its freshness (I was also thinking it trapped in the Mexican goodness, whatever you want that to be, bad or good). The soda is made with 100% cane sugar and pops on the first sip. I can't tell if it's because fruit punch sodas are not the norm around here, but the sweet and bubbly first aftertaste is delicious. It's a crave-worthy soda and each sip almost hits you in that same unpredictable way. Maybe its the Mexican goodness? We'll see in an hour.

Seriously, this is a surprising soda. I liken it to a strawberry Fanta, although the taste is a definite fruit punch and not strawberry. It's not overly sweet and leaves no heavy aftertaste. I highly recommend anyone living in a heavily-latino populated area to seek out your local mercados and buy some Jarritos. I'm beyond excited now to try the other flavors.

From the company: 8 oz has 110 calories, 0g of fat, 28g of carbs, 28g de azucar y 0g protein

Is it Fate?

Why, on the week I begin a blog about soda, does my local Stop & Shop get a shipment of Mexican Coke, Sprite and Fanta? Is it fate? I think so.

"You did Mammy but I'm just all full of Fanta tonight!"
- Ashley Schaeffer

This is my fridge right now (see pic). At $1.39 a bottle I needed to stock up for multiple reasons. First, Mexican Coke, Sprite and Fanta would make great reviews on this blog. Second, the all natural cane sugar taste of Mexican Coke is absolutely delicious and worth spending the extra dough. I've never even tried Mexican Sprite or Fanta...I can't wait! Third, I need to get it while the gettins good. Stop & Shop will probably not be making monthly purchases for soda from over the border so while its in stock I should, like I said, stock up.

On a side note, I think I have something to do with Stop & Shop buying these in the first place. For the past, oh, let's say 4 years I've been buying the 8 oz glass bottle 6-packs when I could get my hands on them. For maybe the past year I've really ramped up my purchases and recently the store began carrying Diet Coke in glass bottles as well. I started buying those too, if not just to try. So I think maybe Stop & Shop looked for more glass bottle sodas...bigger bottles...I don't know. All I do know is that Stop & Shop just supplied me with Mexican Coke and a great assortment of soda to launch this blog.