You may have recently discovered Coca Cola Bottles on grocery store shelves have yellow caps instead of the usual red caps, as this time of year the popular drink’s packaging adopts pops of color for the Jewish holiday, passover. This year the holiday runs from the evening of Wednesday 1st April to the following Thursday 9th April.
Those who observe Passover typically avoid foods made from barley, rye, wheat, oats, or spelt. Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews, who make up the majority of the Jewish population, also generally avoid beans and corn.
This is why every Passover, Coca-Cola uses sucrose rather than high fructose corn syrup, one of its main ingredients. Coca-Cola is technically kosher year-round, but not for Passover. The yellow lid is there to inform those celebrating the holiday that the soda is safe to drink.
According to Chabad.org, “Pesach It commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Passover is celebrated by avoiding fermentation and focusing on the Passover meal, which includes four cups of wine, eating unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus. In Hebrew, it is called Passover (meaning “Passover”) because God skipped the first Passover on the day when the firstborn son of Egypt was killed.
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Brand recipe changes
This change in the soda brand’s recipe actually dates back to 1935. At the time, Rabbi Tuvia Geffen of Atlanta urged Coca-Cola to create a drink that could be consumed during Passover, The New York Times reported.
These yellow-capped bottles are available every spring. However, people can enjoy high-fructose soda without corn syrup year-round. Known as Mexican Coke, it’s sweetened with cane sugar, but is often sold in small glass bottles and is much more expensive.
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Many people took to social media to remind Coca-Cola fans that now is the time to stock up on the cheaper Mexican Coke. “This is my annual reminder that it’s time to stock up on Coca-Cola…” one TikTok user explain.
“Look at these yellow hats, it’s very exciting,” other wrote.
“The best kept secret is going to happen over the next two weeks…” explain others.
