Justin Tan, Author at Goody Feed

When my colleague slammed this can of coke on my desk, I immediately noticed the green accent on the top with the words ‘STEVIA’ stencilled on. My first thoughts were, Oh no, Coca-Cola’s getting weird again. What the hell is Coke with stevia? Having tried Coke’s other "weird creations" (vanilla coke, anyone?) I knew I just had to try their latest creation. On the outside, the can itself looks entirely unassuming. The green and red exterior of the can reminds me entirely of the special design Coca-Cola uses during the Christmas season. Upon closer inspection, however, you’ll notice the words "STEVIA" and "35% less sugar' stencilled on. So, what is Stevia? No, Coca-Cola’s not putting drugs in your drinks. Stevia is actually an alternative to sugar and claims to sweeten your drink without adding much calories. It’s made from the stevia leaf and is known to be a natural sweetener (though the properties of processed stevia could differ from its natural counterpart). Image: Homeremediesweb.com And no, it does not look like Marijuana. Now before health freaks start rushing to buy these in stores, do take note that it has 35% less sugar, so in actual fact, the drink itself does still contain sugar. However, if you wish to cut down on your sugar intake and don’t particularly fancy Coke Zero, Coke with stevia could be the perfect one for you. So what did the new Coke taste like? While I was gulping it down, my taste buds recognized the original Coke’s taste, and in truth, it actually does taste almost identical to the normal Coke we all know and love (or hate). The aftertaste, however, reminds me a bit of Coke Zero’s flatter aftertaste. I don’t taste any bitterness though, and I can classify the taste as a mix between the original Coke and Coke Zero, albeit leaning more towards the Original Coke’s taste. In fact, I was slightly underwhelmed, which in this case is a good thing as that meant there was basically almost no difference to the original. My well-endowed (in the belly department) gourmet colleague also had a taste and mentioned that it didn’t taste as ‘sticky’ as regular Coke, which he later reaffirmed to me was a positive reaction. I had to agree that it tasted the same yet didn’t feel as heavy as regular Coke. So would I recommend this? Sure, if you’re sick of Coke Zero and don’t want something as sugary as regular Coke, this could sate your appetite for some Coke. Coke with stevia suitably places itself on the "mid-range" of Coke’s range of sugary products. I personally would give this 4/5 stars if you’re a lover of Coke, and 3.5/5 stars for those who hate the Coke Zero's taste. One thing about this is that it's not that easy to find: most coffeeshop (at least in Bukit Batok) still does not stock this. You can get it from supermarkets, though.

Justin Tan

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