If You See a Yellow Cap on Coca-Cola, This Is What It Means

Find out what yellow cap Coke bottles mean and why they appear only once a year.

Coca-Cola has been around for what seems like forever. The famous soda pop brand was first introduced in the late 1800s and is still going strong today. It’s synonymous with crisp and refreshing, and the bright red logo is easily recognized the whole world over. So, when that classic look changes, you notice it right away. In fact, you’ve probably noticed yellow cap Coke bottles recently and wondered what the yellow cap means.

There’s actually a very special reason for it—to signify that the recipe is kosher for Passover.

The yellow cap Coke is kosher for Passover

If you’re unfamiliar with Passover, it’s a Jewish religious holiday that occurs during spring and lasts for seven days in total. During the holiday, Jewish people are prohibited from owning or consuming leavened foods (known as chametz), which include five main grains: wheat, spelt, oats, rye, and barley.

However, it’s common for some Jewish people to recognize another category of forbidden foods (known as kitniyot) that includes corn, rice, and beans.

How does all of this affect Coke? While the regular Coke formula is kosher year-round, it contains corn syrup, so it isn’t considered kosher for Passover by Jews of Eastern European descent. Because of this, Coke temporarily replaces the corn syrup in its recipe with sugar.

Why do people love kosher Coke?

While intended for Jewish people who celebrate Passover, these “Original Taste” Cokes are a favorite for many Coca-Cola fans. Plenty of people buy the yellow-capped Coke because they love the flavor or want to avoid high fructose corn syrup.