A place to share interesting articles from Wikipedia.
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Coca-Cola uses actual cocaine plants (coca) that have had their cocaine removed. The Coca Cola company has an exclusive monopoly from the US government to import coca plants for use in their soft drink. It's why copy cat products can't taste identical.
"Today, that extract is prepared at a Stepan Company plant in Maywood, New Jersey, the only manufacturing plant authorized by the federal government to import and process coca leaves, which it obtains from Peru and Bolivia."
Wonder if there are other open source sodas out there? Maybe even an open source energy drink?
I'd kill for an open source Spark Mtn. Dew recipe, My (autistic) partner has been deeply distressed ever since they announced it was being discontinued.
I know it's not something everyone can afford to do but - When a drink I liked seemed like it was going out of production I paid a food scientist on Fiverr to reverse engineer it. Worth considering.
How were the results?
Upfront, they were not perfect. The recipe I got was good/treaty and it definitely scratched the same kind of itch, but I don't think it was particularly close in terms of flavor.
HOWEVER, I think there are several factors to improve results.
Not everyone you could hire is going to be the same caliber. Some will be better than others and finding the best may not be easy. I don't think I ended up hiring the best candidate.
Actual sample analysis. I was prepared to send the scientist a sample of the drink but they claimed they didn't need it and I trusted their judgment. In the future, I would look to hire only someone who will analyze the sample with lab equipment.
What! That's awesome, what a cool idea.
No vanilla?
It still tastes like cola without vanilla, I have tried without and with vanillin, and it gives a very slight taste change.
I'll try with real vanilla one of the next batches and see if I can taste a difference.
That's nice