4 ms·

IMO, stevia can have a superior flavor profile to sugar for certain specific use cases. I really like it in ice teas because the sweetness comes on slow and tha

IMO, stevia can have a superior flavor profile to sugar for certain specific use cases. I really like it in ice teas because the sweetness comes on slow and that makes the drink seem more refreshing. Also, I can't taste any aftertaste because the tea leaves themselves produce a mild, pleasant bitter aftertaste which is conveniently paired with the longer-lasting sweetness of stevia. That said I can see why stevia would not work for Coca Cola because you don't want the underlying bitterness of caffeine to hit you first without any sweetness. Coke needs to hit you fast. The thing about coke is that it's all about the first sip. It's as much about flavor as it is about freshness. The first sip must overwhelm your senses and energize you. With ice teas, on the other hand, the flavors don't have to come on straight away because you're looking for freshness first and foremost. I think the pleasantness of it is mostly about cooling and soothing. You don't want it to hit you too fast; so a slow-onset flavor profile works better.

extraduder_ire 2y ago
> That said I can see why stevia would not work for Coca Cola because you don't want the underlying bitterness of caffeine to hit you first without any sweetness. There was a short-lived product called coca cola life, with a green label that I first saw in 2015 that was sweetened with stevia alongside sugar. I never tried it.
quickslowdown 2y ago
My mind is kind of blown reading this entire thread. I've always thought stevia tasted like bitter ass, not a redeeming flavor in the entire profile, ruins every food or beverage it's in, etc. I've never met anyone personally who likes it, but it turns out a bunch of nerds on the Internet do!
- jongjong 2y ago
  Did you heat it up? Like in a hot beverage? I find it tastes really bitter if you heat it up. I don't recall any bitterness if it's not cooked.
  - quickslowdown 2y ago
    I think that's mostly where I've had it, yeah, but I know I've had some desserts that used it, and it's all I can taste. I wonder if it's anything like cilantro, where it tastes inedible to some people and delicious to others... Or if it tastes the same to everyone and I'm just not a fan
- derekperkins 2y ago
  My thoughts exactly

extraduder_ire 2y ago

> That said I can see why stevia would not work for Coca Cola because you don't want the underlying bitterness of caffeine to hit you first without any sweetness. There was a short-lived product called coca cola life, with a green label that I first saw in 2015 that was sweetened with stevia alongside sugar. I never tried it.

quickslowdown 2y ago

My mind is kind of blown reading this entire thread. I've always thought stevia tasted like bitter ass, not a redeeming flavor in the entire profile, ruins every food or beverage it's in, etc. I've never met anyone personally who likes it, but it turns out a bunch of nerds on the Internet do!

jongjong 2y ago
Did you heat it up? Like in a hot beverage? I find it tastes really bitter if you heat it up. I don't recall any bitterness if it's not cooked.
- quickslowdown 2y ago
  I think that's mostly where I've had it, yeah, but I know I've had some desserts that used it, and it's all I can taste. I wonder if it's anything like cilantro, where it tastes inedible to some people and delicious to others... Or if it tastes the same to everyone and I'm just not a fan
derekperkins 2y ago
My thoughts exactly