Found in Má Pêche soda: essential oils of lavender, citrus fruits, cassia, and nutmeg.   (Photo: Jamie Chung for New York Magazine)

SUGAR
Coke: Each can is sweetened with 39 grams of sugar, mostly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.
Má Pêche: A ten-ounce glass of cola contains 27 grams of sucrose (a.k.a. white Domino sugar).

CALORIES
Coke: 11.67 calories per fluid ounce.
Má Pêche: 10.4 calories per fluid ounce. Twelve ounces contain just fifteen calories less than a can of Coke.

FLAVORINGS
Coke: A secret mix of “natural flavors,” which may or may not contain synthetic oils of citrus, vanilla, cinnamon, and other spices. If any of the ingredients in Coke may have deleterious health effects, it’s phosphoric acid (E338), which has been linked to calcium depletion. Coke uses it for added tanginess.
Má Pêche: Flavors its cola with essential oils from eight plants: lavender, lemon, orange, lime, neroli, coriander, cassia, and nutmeg.

CAFFEINE
Coke: Contains 34 milligrams of caffeine, about a quarter the amount in a typical cup of coffee.
Má Pêche: Contains zero grams of caffeine—not because it alters the taste, but because beverage director Colin Alevras felt it might be dangerous to have a powdered form of caffeine lying around the kitchen.

Related:

• Archive: “Food Features”
• Articles by Kaija Helmetag
• Table of Contents: Aug 2, 2010 issue of New York | Subscribe!