Why do soft drinks taste different in different countries?!
So, why do the soft drinks taste differently even though they are from the same company? Anyone know?
Answers: I recently returned from a fantastic Caribbean cruise and I noticed that all of the major soft drink labels (Pepsi, Coke, etc) all tasted different in the different islands that I visited. Interestingly, my best friend (who came from Europe) told me the same thing from the countries over there.
So, why do the soft drinks taste differently even though they are from the same company? Anyone know?
I work as a tech in a lab for a mayor soft drink company - and I've tasted most soft drink products from around the world. You're right - no two countries have the same flavor.
Here's how it works:
Major soft drink companies, like Pepsi or Coke, sell their concentrate of the drink to different corporate franchises around the world. The final ingredients (which can include, but are not limited to: water and sugar) are added locally, once the concentrate arrives at the Bottling Plant. So, there are many things at play here - the taste of the drink can vary by the type of sugar they use or the type of water processing that the plant provides.
Think of a pancake mix. They sell you the powder and you add water. The mayor soft drink corporations sell the "powder" (which is the concentrate) and the plants add the final igredients.
Some plants, for example, use brown sugar in their mix. Others use other types of sweeteners, like corn syrup or caramel. Some plants use real fruit juice in their orange, lemon or grape soft drinks. There are many, many ways to create the same drink. Just like a pancake mix would taste different if you added milk, instead of water.
So, there you go. What you find common in your current soft drink could (to not say "will") taste differently to someone that doesn't live where you do. Why? Well, you're used to the ingredients used by your local plant - and they might not be.
Hope I helped!
Different water used in the processing will result in different products.
Companies such as coke and pepsi tweak the formula they use in different countries based on the overall taste preference of the people in that country.
Because of the water and also they use different types of sugars and syrups.
The formulation of the drinks may vary somewhat from country to country. The water supply is also a variable that changes depending on location.
There are several different reasons. If you were drinking soda that came from south of the border, it contained real sugar instead of the corn syrup that we use here. I think theirs tastes so much better! Also, as people above have sad, it can also be due to the water or the mixture percentages they use.
It's mostly the H2O. Even here in the USA. I live in Florida and when I go to Michigan Coke and Pepsi taste different.