Food - Drink
The Ingredient That Makes Pepsi And Coke Taste Different
By MOLLY HARRIS
Coca-Cola and Pepsi, two of the most well-known and popular soft drinks in the world, have quite a few ingredients in common. While both colas are made with carbonated water, sweeteners, caffeine, natural flavors, and coloring, there is one key ingredient that sets their flavors apart from each other.
Pepsi contains more citric acid than Coca-Cola, which gives it more of a citrusy and tart flavor. A common ingredient in many sodas, citric acid is used to enhance flavors and balance sweetness, though the amount used varies between brands, which is why most colas on the market today all taste a bit different.
Coca-Cola, on the other hand, mostly uses phosphoric acid to add acidity, which is why Coke tastes less sharp than Pepsi and has more of a vanilla-like flavor instead. The varied quantities and types of acids used in the two beverages are also the reason why tasters often find Pepsi more refreshing than its rival soda.