Why is kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola different from all other Coca-Colas?

Jeff Dobro isn’t the only one making an annual pilgrimage to buy the good stuff.
Jeff Dobro bought 16 bottles of kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola on March 21, 2022—an indulgence he makes every year. (Ellin Bessner photo)

Every year, starting as early as February, Jeff Dobro calls supermarkets around Toronto for months leading up to Passover. His question? Whether or not they have a special kind of Coca-Cola in stock—the kind that’s kosher for Passover.

While normal Coke is made with high-fructose corn syrup, Passover Coke is made with cane sugar, as many observant Jews are not allowed to consume corn-based products during the holiday. Many Coke drinkers—including non-Jews—prefer it, because it tastes sweeter, they say.

The Passover varietal also brings about a sense of nostalgia for the good old days, back when Coca-Cola was made with real sugar, before cheap corn lured the drink-maker to cut costs in the mid-1980s. On today’s episode, we learn how Coca-Cola’s bottling plant sanitizes its line to produce the kosher product, what the origins are and how Jeff Dobro feels about this must-have addition to his seder table

What we talked about:

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The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

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