New Year's Eve, Christmas, Christmas Eve, birthday or name day are the most popular holidays in the world, the celebration of which is an important aspect of culture in Poland. Various habits follow them, including the consumption of high-alcoholic drinks. When not only alcohol, but also dishes and snacks appear on our tables, they are almost always accompanied by carbonated drinks.
Poles consume huge amounts of these fluids. For many people, they are an inseparable element of the so-called drinking culture. Since they occupy such a strong position in our diet, it is worth asking yourself: What do the most popular carbonated drinks contain?
Please take a moment to read this article and check what you are drinking!
Cola drinks
While there are different preferences regarding which drink tastes best with a particular alcohol, everyone will admit that one of the most popular and consumed liquids is cola products. For example, in 2002, 4.581 million liters of Coca-Cola brand cola sold were recorded in the countries of Central Europe, including Poland. As much as 7,960 million liters of all carbonated drinks were sold. From the above statistics, it can be concluded that the distribution of Coca-Cola itself is more than 50% of the total.
If we add to this fact that, apart from the brand mentioned above, there are still many drinks of this type from other producers on the market, the conclusion is self-imposed: this type of product is a definite favorite among consumers. What's in this true "king of bubbles"? First of all, empty calories! We are talking about large amounts of sugar and caramel, which, although not nutritious, provide the body with a lot of energy. In addition to the above, the label also includes phosphoric acid, caffeine and aromas. The popularity of cola-type drinks is therefore not due to their health properties, but primarily to their taste.
Citrus carbonated drinks
On the podium of popular carbonated drinks, next to cola, there are those with citrus flavor. Orange, lemon and grapefruit are the leading flavors on the market. From the former, products such as Mirinda, Fanta or Orangina can be selected.
The big advantage of these liquids is the fact that they contain real orange juice. Although it is in a concentrated form, compared to the composition of other types of carbonated drinks, it is a big advantage of orange "bubbles". The situation is similar for lemon products with carbon dioxide. With the difference that some brands may no longer treat us with juice, but only with citric acid and flavors.
Sugar, sugar and sugar again
As already mentioned, when alcohol appears on the table, it is almost always accompanied by carbonated drinks. So it's hard to imagine that our favorite "bubble" liquids would not be sweet. To a large extent, it is sugar that soothes the harsh aftertaste of alcohol. Admittedly, consumers just love their sweet taste.
Unfortunately, the amount of sugar in popular favorites can reach its zenith, which is commonly known; does not have a positive effect on human health. For example, a can of cola has an average of 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Think how many cans you can drink at a family party or while hanging out with friends? Although this fact is increasingly mentioned in the mass media, the popularity of such drinks has not changed significantly. It's hard to imagine a holiday, for example, without the adorable Coca-Cola truck.
Carbonated drinks are an integral part of our culture and this is not going to change.