Taste Test: Coca-Cola Life

We’re back from Memorial Day and bringing you another taste test of an American classic: Coca-Cola. This time, we’re comparing classic Coca-Cola to new-to-the-US Coca-Cola Life.

Coca-Cola Life was debuted in Argentina in 2013, followed closely by a release in Chile. It was designed cooperatively by their mad soda scientist labs. Life is a healthier version of Coke in several interesting ways.

Where traditional Coke in an eight-ounce glass bottle has a little over 93 calories, Life has only 60. This makes it a reduced-calorie soda, not a mythical diet drink with zero (less than 4 calories/12 oz.) calories.

The difference in calories also comes from the varied sweeteners used. The Coke of our childhood relies on high fructose corn syrup for its classic sweetness. Cult followers of Diet Coke and Coke Zero (I do love me some Zero) know and love it's aspartame flavoring. There’s also what J and I (incorrectly?) call Mexican Coke - which comes in taller glass bottles with Spanish labels - and is made purely from cane sugar.

Now we have to start splitting hairs and for lack of a better cliche, choosing the lesser of two evils. This is not unlike the low-fat, no-fat, high-fat diet stupidity we’ve all considered while in the butter aisle.  Unsalted butter is just made from cream, but it’s so fatty...I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray has no calories or real ingredients...Which is worse for you?

Coca – Cola Classic

Made with high fructose corn syrup  

+ High calorie

= Highly processed, bad for you

Diet Coke/Coke Zero

Sweetened with aspartame

+ Low- or zero-calories

= Highly processed, but better for you than corn syrup

“Mexican Coke”

Sweetened with pure cane sugar

+ High calorie

= “Clean eating,” but still high calorie and should be consumed in moderation

Coke Life

Sweetened with cane sugar and stevia

     + Reduced calorie

     = “Clean eating” and moderate calorie

Theoretically, Coke Life should be the healthiest choice on the market. It’s lower calorie and made from natural ingredients. But, we all know that the bigger question is - Is it the most delicious choice?

Just like our other product review Taste Tests, this one will be based on what I call fundamental criteria. For a Coke, those criteria include: Color, Fizz, and Flavor; Flavor will be broken into the parts I call The Sweetness and The Burn.

The Color:

In the South, every caramel-colored carbonated drink is called coke. When we think of dark, rich sodas, Coke is what instantly comes to mind, even though RC and Pepsi have big bottling industries in the South. It’s such a striking image of almost black contents contrasted against that bright red logo. Iconic, really.  And in the bottle, Coke Life looks pretty similar to classic Coca-Cola. I will argue, however, that the glass bottle of dark liquid with a green swath across its mid-section looks a lot like another classic product that’s stood the test of time: Kikkoman (reduced sodium) soy sauce. (J, however, liked the styling, calling it “clean” and thought it really gives the impression of being a healthier choice).

But at first pour, I noticed a subtle difference in the colors. Life is lighter in color; it is closer to “caramel” than the tar-like look of Classic. While that may come from the healthier formula (maybe using less artificial dyes), it gives me another impression: watered down Coke. Coke straight from the perfected chalice of a curvy glass bottle is supposed to look its purest; but with this slightly lighter color, it looks like an over-carbonated soda fountain drink.

The Fizz:

Coke has wonderful carbonation and that dark coloring only helps you to see the bubbles bouncing around in every glass. Where Life might not have delivered on color, it brought the bubbles! This was an incredibly heady pour into our antique brandy snifters and the bubbles just kept on coming. To me, Coke is a youthful brand - it reminds you of the treat after school, ice cream floats in the summer, sharing a straw on your first date - and that kinetic energy of childhood is in those bubbles! Too often “green” alternatives can be stuffy and make us show our age (no kid ever independently questioned the GMO content of his nuggets); but Life’s fizz makes could keep young.

The Flavor:

To me, Classic Coke has two distinctive flavors - unbridled sweetness and a sharpness that almost burns as you swallow (and is only more pronounced the less ice you use). Both of these things sound terrible on paper, but on my tongue are perfect! And on both fronts, Life has toned it down a notch; which for J is a great success.

J likes clear-to-yellow soft drinks like Sprite or Mountain Dew and has never been fond of “Coke” (see that Southern colloquialism?). Tasting Life he was quite surprised and we were able to suss out why he hadn’t like Coke before. J has a sweet tooth, but with his sodas he wants balance of sweet and acidity; thus preferring citrus-based soft drinks instead of nothing-but-sugar drinks like Pepsi or Coke. But with dialed back and alternatively sourced sweetness, he was pretty satisfied.

But it was a little too subtle for me. I missed that tangy burn of Classic or “Mexican” Coke and I thought it was verging on Diet Coke flavoring. While many things convey sweetness, nothing tastes like sugar, like, well, SUGAR. Maybe I have a nuanced soda palate or maybe I’ve tried enough sugar substitutes to realize stevia isn’t my thing. It’s not gross or unpleasant, just not my drink of choice.

I guess I’m back to the what’s worse for you battle. And if I’m treating myself to a delicious drink, this wouldn’t be it, I’d choose Classic; If I’m making a calorie-driven choice, I’ll probably go “extreme” and get Coke Zero. The healthier middle-ground approach isn’t quite working for me.

So, we’re back to the obvious: Coca - Cola has something for everyone. Sweettoothed, waist-minded, clean eaters - everyone. If you feel guilty drinking high-calorie AND highly processed stuff, and are seeking a more natural approach, Coke Life could be the thing for you. And even if it’s not, I’m sure they can find something you’ll enjoy (hit up the Taste It! exhibit at World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta to be sure)!

Taste Test: Reese's Oreos

This is a fun part of blogging - responding to your requests and challenges! A reader (and friend) shared a new product and asked for a review before she bought it herself.

As an early Memorial Day display of patriotism, I’m combining two very American things - being opinionated and eating Oreos - into a surely delicious post.

We’ve seen a rapid and uninhibited boom in the Oreo universe in the past 2-3 years. My childhood cookie aisle stocked maybe four types of Oreo - original, double stuf, reduced fat and lunchbox-friendly minis - in a variety of sizes. I’m a double stuf girl, so my only decision was about upgrading to the family size packs.

Now, according to their website, there are 28 - yes, over two dozen - different Oreo cookies (not including different types of packaging or Oreo-related products like pie crust). The varieties include somewhat sensible, although already old hat flavors like golden (vanilla wafers), ratio-changers like mega stuf (for all you folks who double up your cremes), chocolate-covered cookies (we’ve been making those at home years) all the way to the bizzaro creme flavors like birthday cake, cookie dough and marshmallow crispy.

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Their most recent flavor experiment brings Oreo together with another incredibly prolific brand - Reese’s. Reese’s has at least 11 different products produced in-house, with countless others like Bryer’s BLASTS ice cream, where they guest star. And I will be the first to admit, we are a Reese’s house. I’m pretty sure J bleeds peanut butter and chocolate. Every stocking, Easter basket and birthday cake features some sort of Reese’s combo. Obviously, we were very excited to see this pairing!

In February, J and I provided a truly scientific (wink wink) study on Nabisco’s limited edition release, red velvet Oreos. You can read that review here. We’ll base this review on the same criteria as the red velvet. First, we’ll discuss the two major flavor features of the cookies: the wafer and the creme. Next, we’ll discuss their structural integrity by testing both their “twist” and “dunkability.” Finally, I am adding another analysis (and suggestion) for achieving  “the perfect bite.”

Without further ado, let’s review.

The Cookie:

Unlike the red velvet variety whose wafer tasted different (and were red, duh!), these cookies had the signature Oreo flavor and appearance. There was a sense that the texture had been tweaked because these wafers were incredibly crunchy and when eaten separately, felt harder. Otherwise, same old, same old - and that’s a good thing!

The Cremes:

An exciting feature of the Reese’s cookies is that there are two different cremes inside each cookie! I do believe this is a first for Oreo (at least on the same layer - they do have a triple decker cookie with two different layers of creme). Half of the creme layer is peanut butter and half is chocolate. J said it best with, “it’s close to the spirit of Reese’s (cups) but reminds me more of Reese’s sticks.” I think it’s got a Reese’s pieces feel to it. (Every Reese’s lover is a connoisseur, really). If you’re looking for an exact copy of a Reese’s cup, this isn’t it, but it’s got the peanut butter and the chocolate in good balance. I really enjoyed the peanut butter side, especially the texture. Where the red velvet cookie’s creme had been grainy (and cloying) from so much sugar, this was actually good. It had a very pleasant taste, a lot like real Reese’s pb and upon further inspection, had actual flecks of peanuttiness that contributed to the Reese-like texture. I haven’t done enough “research” to know if this is the same chocolate creme they use in other varieties. The chocolate half seems like a generic chocolate flavor, not too sweet and not too chocolatey. Being butted up against pb it does take on a little of that flavor, too. A bite with a mixture of both cremes is pretty darn good and thankfully, not too sweet.

The Twist

I need two things for a good twist - the cookie stays intact and the creme stays on one wafer, not a smear on both. The red velvet variety’s sugary creme was a mess and stuck to both cookies. This cookie twisted perfectly. The harder cookie held up and the creme stuck tight to a single wafer.

Dunkability

Oreos demand milk. As such, they have to be structurally sound enough to take a good dunk in a glass of milk. I like either a fraction-of-a-second splash or a long super-softening soak for my Oreos. These held up pretty well, maybe not as sturdy as a traditional cookie, but didn’t dissolve into a mess. Through a series of tests, J determined that a 10-second submersion yields the best results for a soft, milk-logged cookie that isn’t yet mushy.

The Perfect Bite

If you’re looking for a perfect bite, I wouldn’t twist and double up cremes or eat it open-faced. I suggest going in for the traditional sandwich and giving it a dip in milk (at least 5 seconds). Make it even better by trying to put the “seam” of the creme between your front teeth so you get a bite of both sides, not just one flavor of creme. Yum!

For more LEGO-y goodness, follow J on Instagram here. 

A peanut butter cup it’s not, but a good cookie, absolutely. The flavor is tasty, the Oreo-design is on point and they’re delicious with milk.

I think the main thing keeping it from being a better copy is the unsurmountable texture and experience differences. A Reese’s cup almost instantly melts in your hands and coats your mouth in creamy chocolate. It’s one of those warm and fuzzy experiences that takes you to childhood, just like unwrapping the silver foil of a Hershey bar. Eating a cookie, no matter the flavor profile, can’t match the melty, gooey feel of tearing open an orange packet.

Also, it would be very remiss of the cheap curmudgeon in me to not mention the ridiculous pricing of these “special” cookies. A standard pack of the (now) “regular” Oreos - original, golden, double stuf, and reduced fat - costs $2.98 at Wal Mart and contains 36 cookies. The quirky packs are noticeably smaller and awkwardly shaped containing only 24 cookies, but still priced at $2.98. I read the cost-per-ounce breakdowns while grocery shopping - especially when comparing brands or bulk vs. small packages - and this one just doesn’t work out. I get it, it’s a limited edition product, but c’mon, just price them fairly!

Rant of the Day: Fussy Eaters

With over one hundred Endlessly Delicious Life posts and a similar amount of topic “labels,” you can tell that I’m not a picky eater.

I’m not opposed to shopping at discount grocery stores or squeamish with expiration dates (“best buy…” means you can still eat it, right?). I have no problem experimenting with new recipes and ingredients, and I get downright giddy at the prospect of trying a new restaurant.

I never really had a chance to be too choosey.

My parents raised me with a firm foodie hand where I ate what they ate – or I was foraging for my own meals in our pantry (read: soup bean & cornbread nights). I remember an attempt at a Lenten sacrifice where I wanted to be a 40-day vegetarian and Dad said “Well, enjoy cooking your own meals, kid.”

We always had a big garden and canned our own produce, jams, jellies, pickles, and meats; fresh, homegrown food covered our table. The food you grow and cook yourself always tastes better; who would turn that away?

Baby Amanda making eggs with Dad

And for one reason or another we didn’t take expensive vacations together; but could swing a dinner at the new joint in town or drive to Asheville for exotic grub.

I recently read comments from acclaimed chef Curtis Stone that picky eaters aren’t born, they’re made by parents who assume young taste buds only respond to fries and Cheetos, and it got me to thinking about the true meaning of being “picky.”

J and I haven’t yet been blessed with our own little mess-maker(s?), but we have both dealt with our fair share of adult picky eaters and let’s be real, they’re infuriating.

J gets the brunt of this at the restaurant with orders like “I want a Philly cheese steak but with no cheese, no onions, no peppers and turkey instead of steak” or “Can you remove all of the pickle relish from the egg salad?” Um…no. #AintNobodyGotNoTimeForThat

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But I get equally aggravated by friends who must pick a restaurant that serves items from their three American food groups: pepperoni pizza, fried chicken items (nuggets, tenders),  and cheddar cheese products (macaroni, grilled cheese). Which automatically nixes 75% of the places I enjoy eating.  

These aren’t people with a biological disposition to be sensitive to various textures, colors or flavors (many people on the autism spectrum have very specific preferences to food) and they aren’t folks who have just realized they don’t appreciate x dish or enjoy the flavor of y, or get heartburn/headaches etc. from z.

These are the jerks whose parents only handed them the kids’ menu and from the crowning of their first tooth imprinted on them their own preferences or scared them away from adventure – “No, you won’t like this; it’s for grownups.”

Nothing makes my eyes twitch quite hearing this familiar discussion:

"Do you want some (Fill in the blank - calamari? sushi? osso buco? salsa verde? imported beer?

"EWWWWW NO! I HATE that!"

" Have you ever tried it?"

"No, but I hate it."

I’m pretty sure an angel loses its wings every time someone does that.

And there lies the reality of being a picky eater versus living the life of an independent thinker and diner. Picky eaters were never given a chance to try new things and didn’t take it upon themselves to explore later in life.

My dad doesn’t eat lemon desserts – pudding, pie, bars, gelatin (well, Jell-o in general) – for whatever reason. And growing up, we never had lemon desserts in the house and if we went out to eat he’d pick over those items on the menu. I decided I didn’t like lemon desserts either, (except for lemon poppyseed muffins). It wasn’t until recently that I actually put thought into why I won’t eat lemon bars, and I tried one… I loved it.

I adopted a similar hatred of blueberries because my mom wouldn’t eat them. Mom likes their flavor, but they discolor the veneer of her front teeth. I don’t have any veneers, caps or false teeth but I turned my nose up at blueberries (except for muffins, again) because I “didn’t like them.” I didn’t even knew the flavor of a blueberry until I was 20. Turns out, they’re pretty good. Now I don’t eat them because they’re so darn expensive.

But that’s just it. I had no idea what these things tasted like, but assumed – either on my own or from mimicking my parents – that they would be awful. The point is that I was (eventually) willing to try and then decide for myself.

You’re not picky if you’ve experienced different ingredients, dishes and flavors and decided you don’t like them. And part of that is probably a personality trait – a willingness to experiment, to try new things and to persevere and try them a few times. For example: If I had only tried mom’s meatloaf, I’d say I don’t like meatloaf; but if I try several recipes, I would find that I love meatloaf! (Sorry, mom.).

Having a list of things you’d rather never eat again doesn’t make you a chicken-nugget-fool, but rather someone with a discerning palate. Even the best, most famous chefs have things they hate. Did you ever see Scott Conant’s infamous rant on Chopped about raw red onions? That actually cost someone $10,000.

In all fairness, and to not belabor our poor choosy eaters, I’ll share my list of things I HATE to eat:

• Licorice and its natural counterparts fennel and star anise: So, so gross. I would say 90% of the world eschews black jellybeans and come to find out it’s not a sad flavor made in a laboratory, but a legit vegetable and spice. Ick.
• Dark beer: I think it’s the bitterness, I just can’t handle it. Wine cooler, please.
• Raw tomato slices: This is totally a texture thing; if you’ll scoop the “guts” out, I’ll gladly add it to my burger, taco or salad.
• Processed cherries (maraschino cherries, cherry pie filling): I love fresh cherries but hate how sickly sweet they get in processed forms.
• Artificial grape/purple flavoring: It all tastes like cough syrup to me. J is the same way with cherry/red flavoring, so we swap Skittles. The only exception has been a Japanese gummy from Skoshbox that tasted just like a real muscadine.
• Fresh mangoes: I think they taste furry (random, I know) and they are a pain in the butt to slice, anyway.
• (not sweet) Pickles: One of my shining moments as a toddler is screaming “NO PICK PICKS!!” as I threw my Happy Meal burger into my mom’s windshield as she was driving. I’m working on this one. I had some amazing pickles at Cedric’s Tavern at the Biltmore Estate and I now enjoy pickled things (green tomatoes, beans and squash).
• Raw red and yellow apples: Again, a texture thing. Red and yellow varieties are much more prone to mealy-ness than green species. I can’t overcome the soft and grainy mouthfeel to enjoy them.

And thus comes my challenge to you: try something new this week. It could be a new recipe, restaurant (let your friends pick!), ingredient or menu item. Just give it a go and decide for yourself it it’s something you like.

Don’t let other folks’ opinions or your own hang-ups (“Ew! Oysters look like snot!”) get in the way of experiencing something new, and potentially wonderful. I read an article about a guy who copied the order of the person in front of him (at fast-food) or to the right of him (sit-down dining). A surprise every time! And many times it turned him on to something he would have never considered but really enjoyed. Sure, sometimes you’ll get a dud, like my Uncle Buddha’s peanut butter & bologna sandwich, but regardless, you’ll never know what you like until you try!

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