Kosher coke shortage?

Rock and Roll Ralphs and Pavilions in West Hollywood both had it. And lots of matzo too, I'm not sure where rumors of this matzo shortage are coming from. I guess if you wait to buy stuff until after the holiday starts, everything will be in short supply.

why would refined sugar be any better for you than corn syrup?

There was no shortage of kosher for Passover Coke (or matzoh)in my shtetl, Valley Village. Gelson's and Ralph's have it as well as the Jewish markets. I'm sure it's also available in Fairfax and Pico-Robertson. There is a small Jewish community in Whittier, so maybe you can find some there as well.

FYI, Coke produced in Mexico also uses cane sugar, so that might be another avenue for you to explore for "the real thing."

Good luck!

Thanks for the tips, I'll go searching for remnants tonight.
As far as sugar being better than high fructose corn syrup, I think it's because there are studies that link HFCS to early onset of adult diabetes -- although I must admit I'm not 100 percent certain.

It used to be hard to find Kosher Coke in years past, but no longer. There have been stacks and stacks of it for months. However it's concentrated in the Jewish neighborhoods on the Westside. The Ralphs at Pico and Beverwil has hundreds and hundreds of bottles.

I do wish they'd offer it in something other than 2 liter bottles. I'm not Jewish, but the sugar Coke tastes better. But those 2 liter bottles go flat and have a plastic-y taste. Glass bottles, please!

If the only difference is corn syrup, you may be able to find Mexican Coke at Costco - it is in the cola section in glass bottles. I've been able to find it in several stores in OC (Costco at The District, Tustin Marketplace and Irvine Spectrum). The Mexican version tastes just like I remember growing up - a little more expensive but much better tasting then the HFCS stuff.

Reading about your BLOG in Kevin Roderick's column, I have this info for you: "Kosher for Passover" is a step-up from "regular" Coke, which is Kosher for all other times of the year ... except Passover, apparently, as I understand this crucial situation. Huell Howser (who else?) did a "return visit" recently to a family market in East LA called "Balco's" which sells "The Real Kosher for Passover Version of The Real Thing" (or, as we Jews have been known to say, "Kasruth Pesach"). Here's info on that show from Howser's website: “Visiting...With Huell Howser Show #1602 - GALCO'S
Huell first met John back in 2000 when he did a program about the over 250 different vintage soda pops he sold in his store. In this special update we'll discover that not only has his inventory of vintage sodas doubled in size, but he’s also added shelves of classic candy bars! The real joy of the story however, is finding out how his family has changed and grown since the first visit.”

Also, this kind of Good-for-Passover Coke is sold throughout the Southland at many small Mexican markets. Who knew there were so many Jewish Mexicans in the LA area insisting on Passover-approved Kosher Coke all year-round? Anyway, here in the Indio area, there are many family-owned carnicerias which stock this kind of Coke, which uses the pure sugar as opposed to fructose or other "sweeteners". We also visit Japan fairly often (for the Tokyo Motor Show and other car-related business, and visitors to our website, www.SteveParker.com, can find coverage of the last few Tokyo shows and many other major auto shows, including Los Angeles and SEMA in Las Vegas --- I was on KTLA/TV5 for a decade as "The Car Dude")and the Coke in Japan, where it is still sold ice-cold and in REAL GLASS BOTTLES(!), even in small coffee shops and tastes just like the "old-time Coke" many of us remember from our childhoods. My wife and I have never been to Balco's, but we'll have to visit the next time we go into LA. Hope this helps; hope at least some of this is right, too!

Steve Parker

Beware of anything sweet that comes from Mexico. A lot of the candy contains lead. Could be the Coke does too, to sweeten it the way we remember.

I e-mailed one of your fellow LANG reporters a couple of weeks back, Julia Scott who writes the bargain blog for LANG about the "deal" on Passover Coke made with real sugar.

For years, I would stockpile the Passover Coke because it is made with sugar.

Also, as far as the deal goes, Passover Coke (sold locally in two liter bottles) is much cheaper than those tiny 8 oz bottles that can be found at hispanic-format markets and select Costco stores.

Maybe it's me, but "Hecho in Mexico" is not appealing to me if it is something that I am going to drink.

Granted, it may be "real" Coke and bottled by an authorized Coke bottler, but I would rather wait for Passover Coke instead.

Passover Coke is also available as Passover Diet Coke, but of course no sugar in that.

By the way, here in Valencia, no shortage of either matzoh or Passover Coke. Plenty to be had at the local chain markets.

For me, no Coke this year, as I dropped all Coke or anything with caffeine, high fructose corn syrup or sugar. At the same time I gave up caffeinated black tea with real half and half and sugar, I also gave up the Coke.

Water, boring but better for me and the waistline shows a nice improvement.

I'd like to respond about the questions regarding High Fructose Corn Syrup.

First, please don't make the error of calling it corn syrup. While both fructose and corn syrup are indeed original component, make no mistake that High Fructose Corn Syrup is manufactured through a chemical bonding process and the end result is not a natural food ingredient.

HFCS may be linked to diabeties, I have not heard that one, but it may be an indirect result. It IS linked to obesity, stomach problems and heart problems. The resion is, being an unnatural chemical componant, the human body's digestive system is not equipt to process it, so it stores it (like many unknowns) as fat.

That may help answer the one person's comment as to why refined sugar is better for you than HFCS. Sugar, refined or not, IS sugar and is a naturally occuring dietary item. HFCS, on the otherhand, is for all intents and purposes a chemical sweetener, and while the body knows how to process sugar, it simply can't process HFCS well.

Too much of anything is bad for you. But too much sugar-based soda is considerably better for you than any HFCS-based foods.

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