The 2006 vintage of kosher-for-Passover Coke is on the shelves at Giant (naturally, a few days after the end of their $.99 sale). Let the games begin.

For the uninitiated, this is the only US-market version of Coke made entirely with real sugar instead of corn syrup, and it's only available for a couple of weeks at those stores that care to stock it. Look for the yellow cap 2-liter bottles with the special markings. Experience says that it noticeably loses fizz and flavor around August, so keep that in mind if you're stocking up on a crate or two.

Now if only I could get Dublin Dr. Pepper around here...

So does it taste much better?

Yes. It tastes like a real Coke. I switched to diet drinks ages ago but always pick up a bottle or two when it's available.

Why wait? According to the website, they will ship their stuff to you, $10 for a 12 can case plus $5 "packing" for up to two cases, or $17 for 24 8oz. bottles. Such a deal!

OK, I'll display my ignorance in the pursuit of knowledge. I understand what makes some meats Kosher and know about the separate dishes, pots and pans for "dairy" but, I cannot for the life of me understand what makes corn syrup not Kosher.

Could somebody please explain this? (I realize that corn or, more acurately Maize, is a New World grain unknown in Old Europe and the Middle East at the time Kosher laws were being developed. So, what's the problem here?)

It's the differnce between Kosher and Kosher for Passover. Corn, for reasons that I don't understand after 36 years of being Jewish, isn't Kosher for Passover. It might swell or something and give off the apperence of fermenting or rising, etc., which is banned during Pesach...

I personally tend to think the Rabbis just like giving us hurdles to leap...

Jennifer

. . . having been brought up Catholic, I understand this VERY well.

"By Grabthar's hammer...what a savings."

It's sold retail within the bottler's territory (a 40 mile radius of Dublin). That's why I'm holding off until October, when my car club holds its national meeting in nearby DFW. Then...I'm gonna stuff the trunk full.

As I understand it...

During Pesach, Jews cannot eat chometz, which is anything that contains barley, wheat, rye, oats, and spelt. No leavening is allowed. This signifies that the Hebrews had no time to let their bread rise as they escaped from Egypt.

Corn is a legume, or kitniyot in Hebrew. Only Ashkenazic Jews (those of European descent) consider kitniyot to be chometz, so Sephardic Jews (Arabic descent) can chow down on all the corn syrup they want.

eh? according to Jewish law? 'cause in botany it's in the grass family (Poaceae).

also a taxonomy/horticulture geek,

Yeah, it's a Jewish law classification, not a biology classification.

My local Giant only has the 2 liter version---has anyone seen the individual bottles, and if so, where?

I have never seen individual bottles. My cousin gets it in six pack cans in New York, and I've bought it in six packs in Pittsburgh (Squirrel Hill). I've never seen the cans in D.C.

Thanks,

Kevin

I'n not sure I liked this better than the regular Coke. A little too much fizz intitially and it loses its fizz too quickly, become a little flat and swwet for my tastes.

Oh Bill. Bill, Bill, Bill.

A friend of mine who is working on his Piled higher & Deeper shared an observation with me last summer. He said "Dave, I'm teaching undergrads today for whom 'The Star Wars films' refers to episodes 1, 2, and 3." And then he made the howl of ultimate suffering.

Heh heh. My apologies; I'm not knocking your preference for Classic. It's just that, since you said regular Coke, I thought of the thousands of people who, like me, went around raiding distributors' warehouses for those last few precious cans of Old Coke some 20 years ago, and who still relish a good sugary Coke whenever travelling overseas Especially accompanied by those deep-fried apple pies that McD's still sells in England.

I can't count how many people I know who suddenly find Sephardic ancestors during Passover

I was actually a Pepsi fan before Coke made the switch to "New Coke" and then back to "Classic Coca-Cola". For some reason the switch back made me appreciate it. Normally I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but the combination of the sweetness and lack of carbonation make this version to syrupy for me.

Yeah, I wish I could find a way to "honestly" do that... see this article by Joan Nathan for an interesting discussion of the changes in what is kosher for Passover...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/dining/05leav.html

In addition to the $5 fee, they also tack on $15 - $20 for ground shipping

Thanks,

Kevin

http://www.dublindrpepper.com/

From the Post's Prince George's Extra last week re. El Tapatio (4309 Kenilworth Ave., Bladensburg) :
"For Coca-Cola purists, the Cokes are imported from Mexico and made the traditional way: with cane sugar."

Has anyone seen any kosher for Passover Coke in 6-pack cans?

I've seen plenty of 2-litre bottles (look for the signature yellow cap), and 2-litre bottles of Pepsi as well (plain white cap, with a blue KP on top) but no cans (Giant has 6-packs of Dr. Brown's black cherry as well as 1-litre bottles).

Thanks very much,

Kevin

I've never seen it in cans. Dr. Browns comes in both packaging year round & don't do anything different for Passover. I think the big boys only do the 2-liter bottles for the holiday (more cost-effective?).

I've bought the KP cans in New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh, but I've never seen them around here. I didn't know Dr Brown's used the same formula year round.

Thanks,

Kevin

Other than a production increase - it's much easier to find in the store this time of year. Giant had a "better than half price" special on Dr. Brown's products last week.

I've seen bunches of different sodas in the store with the "K" on the cap, so I picked up some of those to try. Haven't seen any "yellow caps" though.

The "K" is just kosher - that's probably still regular coke with corn syrup. You need the "KP" logo, which is kosher for passover, to get the sugar instead.

It's the same yellow color Coke uses for other promotions. Look for the special printing on the cap - it's actually the Orthodox Union "(circle)U - P", not a "K", plus two lines of Hebrew.

"A coke, I'd like to buy the woyld... "

Interesting. I never knew Coke wasn't kosher. I'll have to look out for some of the kosher kind.

For me, "real" Coke not only has sugar, it also comes in a 6 or 6 1/2 ounce bottle, no cans, absolutely no 2 liter monstrosities.

And yes, I remember when it was just a nickel.

When they switched the formula, I gave it up. High fructose corn syrup is an abomination. The Mexican stuff tasted right the last time I tried it. For some reason, not the kosher for Passover, too flat. May depend on the bottler.

Messing with Coca Cola is like messing with Mom, the flag, and apple pie. Some things you just don't change.

probably
כָּשֵר
פֶּסַח
Which is literally "kosher for pesach (passover)"

Actually, Coke is Kosher, just not Kosher for Passover. Scroll back in this topic for ridiculous levels of detail on this.

If you remember when a Coke was a nickel (as do I), then you must remember when they last changed the US flag (which has been changed many, many times).

Other than the number of stars, the American flag hasn't changed in 230 years!

On the other hand, substituting high fructose corn syrup for sugar in Coke -- oh, the humanity!

Other than that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Ah, OK, I'll keep looking.

FWIW, many Latin markets in the area carry imported Mexican Coke, in the glass bottles.

Wegman's in Fairfax has them.

And they're beautiful.

Giant on Duke outside of Old Town had kosher coke on Saturday.

In light of a looming culinary crisis at home (BLBaby was out of frozen mini bagels to gnaw on), we ventured out in the rain and with gas prices what they are, I am going to combine trips whenever possible. So after buying every mini bagel at Neal's, we went across the street to Safeay to buy drinks for someone's belated 1st birthday party.

(Over my protests- I voted for water only but my darling husband declared me ungracious.)

And there they were -- 3 bottles of kosher for passover coke mixed in with the hoards of regular coke bottles.

And coke is on sale buy 2 get 3 free this week.

Now the real question: do I serve my precious find at the party or save them for myself? Can one person who might drink one 8 ounce glass every other do the stash justice before it goes flat???

That's easy. Cash bar.