What is the difference between Coke and Pepsi?
The two most popular carbonated drinks in almost all countries of the world are Coke and Pepsi. At first taste, they may seem the same, but those who prefer one over the other can tell the difference between them. They are both made from the same ingredients and they both contain the same amount of calories.
About Coca-Cola
The popular drink known as Coke has the longer name of Coca-Cola. It was first manufactured in 1886 by John Pemberton as a medicinal product that contained cocaine. The cocaine content was removed from the recipe in 1930. The ingredients in Coke are carbonated water, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine and natural flavorings. The source of caffeine in Coke is Kola nuts. They contain about 3% caffeine and this is what gives the drink a bitter flavor. A can of coke contains about 140 calories. There are varieties of the drink as well, such as Vanilla Coke, caffeine-free Coke, sugar free Coke and Coke Zero. There is a mystery ingredient in Coke that is called 7X.
About Pepsi
Pepsi, also known as Pepsi Cola, was first developed in North Carolina in 1893 by Caleb Bradham. It was originally known as “Brad’s Drink” because of the creator. He invented the drink in his pharmacy as a digestive drink that would also boost energy levels. The name of the drink comes from the enzyme, pepsin, which is one of the enzymes in the digestive system.
The company changes the logo of Pepsi on an annual basis. The main ingredients are sugar, phosphoric acid, caramel color, caffeine, citric acid, corn syrup and natural flavors and there are about 150 calories in a can of Pepsi. It contains a higher percentage of sugar than other black carbonated beverages. The same company also sells other carbonated drinks, such as Mountain Dew and Diet Pepsi.
Differences and Similarities between Coke and Pepsi
Both Pepsi and Coke are black carbonated drinks that are served in restaurants and cafes as well as being widely available in stores. They are sold in cans and various sizes of bottles. They look the same and cannot be distinguished by color alone. Pepsi tastes a bit sweeter than Coke because it contains more sugar.
Coke has more fizz than Pepsi and is a smooth drink because the fizz evaporates faster. Today the ingredients are almost the same in both, but in the early years cocaine was one of the ingredients in Coke. Pepsi uses more branding techniques than Coke does and it changes its logo every year. Coke still has the same logo. It contains a mystery ingredient called 7X, but Pepsi does not have any mystery ingredients.
Summary
This table will better illustrate the differences between Coke and Pepsi:
| Coke | Pepsi |
| Not as sweet as Pepsi, is fizzier, but smooth | Sweeter than Coke and not as smooth |
| Has a secret ingredient – 7X | No secret ingredient |
| Has the same logo | Changes its logo every year |
Conclusion
Both Coke and Pepsi are black carbonated drinks and are two of the most popular carbonated drinks in the world. They both contain caffeine, which helps to boost energy levels.
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