Up next in 10
Grape flavored drinks, gum, and other edible candies have been a favorite for many people. But, oddly enough, that designated flavor doesn't actually quite taste like grapes; we just associate the flavor with the fruit when it appears in junk food! Today on Weird History Food, we are going back through the history of when grape flavoring was invented, exactly how that flavor is created, and how it became the breakout flavor we all know and love today!
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Today, we're answering the age-old question, what the hell is grape flavoring
0:04
In the light of soda successes like Orange Crush, many new brands began experimenting
0:09
with soda products. And in 1914, Louisiana-based entrepreneurs Jay Grossman Sons decided to
0:15
create their own fruity flavor. In New Orleans, where Jay Grossman Sons conducted much of their
0:19
business, the most popular soda shop drink of the day was undoubtedly GrapeAid, a sweet
0:24
juice, and sparkling water-based concoction prepared and sold by druggists. But because
0:28
grape-aid drinks had to be handmade by licensed professionals, Louisiana businessmen began
0:33
producing Grapeco, the first artificially flavored grape soda. And within no time
0:38
this fizzy, sort of grape-flavored beverage was being guzzled all across the American South
0:42
Although some claimed there was trace ingredients of actual grape, the majority of Grapeco's flavor
0:46
came from a chemical compound, one you would never guess, let alone want to drink. But before the
0:51
public knew what exactly they were drinking, several new grape soda companies sprouted up
0:55
along the American South. Grape soda OGs like Grapeco and Grapeette eventually lost their hold
1:00
on the market to Fanta Grape, Grape Crush, and juice-based specialty brands like Sprector
1:05
But no matter what brand of purple soda you're sipping, one question eventually comes to mind
1:09
Does this even taste like grape? In the earliest days of artificial flavoring
1:14
the essence of grape was achieved by 1800s chemists. By isolating a specific compound
1:19
from orange blossom extracts, scientists noticed a grape-like odor. Capitalizing on this new
1:24
discovery perfumers used this chemical to produce colognes and grape perfumes During events like the World Fair these scents became so popular that they soon began using them to create early versions of grape soda The chemical compound used to achieve this grape effect is a substance
1:38
called methyl anthranylate, which naturally occurs in petroleum. That's right, one of the strangest
1:43
effects of the emerging coal industry was the cheap, easy production of petroleum byproducts
1:48
and grape flavoring just so happened to be one of those byproducts. Although methyl anthranylate
1:52
does occur most frequently in harsh materials, it also occurs naturally, in actual grapes. By
1:58
mimicking the once popular American Concord grape, this chemical is able to reproduce a
2:02
flavor sensation like the ghosts of vineyards past. In other words, every grape soda you've
2:07
ever had was meant to taste like Concord grapes. In the 1950s, grape soda was at its peak. These
2:13
days, however, you're more likely to find grape-flavored products at the bottom of any list
2:17
Part of this waiving support most surely lies in our changing views on artificial flavoring at large
2:22
Throughout the history of synthetic extracts and aromatic essences, officials and watchdog groups have had to rein things in
2:28
Gone are the days when a pharmacist could be seen dumping chemicals into soda water like a mad scientist to make you a fruity treat
2:34
So too are the days when soda companies were able to use cheap coal byproducts
2:38
to flavor their drinks. That's probably a good thing. Nowadays, there's a greater concern over what exactly it is we are ingesting
2:44
And although there has been a rise in organic or naturally produced fruit sodas
2:48
brands like Olipop and Poppy don't scratch the same grape-ish itch. It turns out that soda drinkers much prefer the suggestion of grape to the real thing
2:56
Now, if only we could figure out what the hell is in blue raspberry
#Food & Drink
#Beverages