Originally, for AniMAY, I was using it as a way to make a bunch of yummy food I had seen in video games, but as the name suggests, I had also envisioned making delicious dishes from anime, as well. And so, I was planning on making this recipe last month, but since it is a drink recipe with fruit juice, I thought I would hold off on making it for this month of Juicy June.
Specifically, this recipe comes from the anime Dr. Stone, where in it, a mysterious green flash suddenly petrifies all humans on earth to stone for 3,718 years, until 16-year-old prodigy Senku Ishigami is suddenly revived to find himself in a world where all traces of human civilization have been eroded by time. In this stone world, Senku and his allies attempt to rebuild everything from scratch and the anime (and the manga it’s based on) is actually quite good at teaching the real science behind the process of making a ton of things from complete scratch through chemistry and engineering, including cola.
In Dr. Stone, Senku makes a quite convincing dupe of the modern soda by mixing just these four ingredients together. The science behind this comes from the mixture of the oils from the lime and cilantro containing similar organic compounds such as limonene from the limes and α-terpineol, γ-terpinene, and linalool from the cilantro, which is why this mixture smells so much like cola. Then, these are mixed with the honey, which provides the source of sweetness as well as the caramel color and flavor that the real recipe contains. The original recipe of Coca-cola used to be made from the coca plant and kola nuts, which is where its name comes from. But nowadays, the recipe is concocted in food labs using a mixture of different pre-made extracts, so this Dr. Stone recipe is not too dissimilar to how they actually make this soft drink now.
Of course, this four ingredient recipe is not exactly like the real thing, but it is quite convincing, especially if you haven’t had a coke in almost 4,000 years. There are a few other notable flavor profiles that are in coke that are not included such as cinnamon, other citrus, coriander, vanilla, and lavender to name a few. So, you can of course add these to this recipe to try to achieve an even better dupe, so in the spirit of the show, when making this recipe for yourself, I highly recommend experimenting with adding different compounds and adjusting ratios to achieve a cola to your preferences.
But regardless of if you decide to make your cola as close to the real thing as possible or if you mix together your own cola concoction, this recipe is a fun way to learn a bit of science while making a delicious ice-cold drink for the summer.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Honey or agave syrup (any type should work, but I recommend using darker colored wildflower or lavender honey)
- 10 g or so Cilantro Leaves
- 4 Limes worth of zest and 2-4 limes worth of juice
- 1 bottle Sparkling Water
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients & Muddle Lime Zest & Cilantro w/ Lime Juice; Let Mixture Optionally Infuse Overnight
First, we’ll prepare our ingredients, so for your limes, give them a zest, making sure to only get the green part, since the white pith will make this very bitter.
Then, for your cilantro, chop off the stems and then give the leaves a mince.
Then, in a mortar or bowl, add in your lime zest and cilantro and muddle these with the pestle (or the back of a spoon) to help release the flavorful oils. This will result in a smell that is surprisingly reminiscent of cola.
Then, juice about half of your limes into the mortar (or bowl), saving the rest for later as needed, and give this a mix.
Then, transfer this to a mason jar and you may optionally let this mixture infuse in the fridge overnight, intensifying the cola flavor profile.
Step 2: Prepare Honey Syrup by Heating Honey & Caramelizing it
Then, when you’re ready to continue, in a small sauce pan, add in the honey and a tablespoon of water to help keep it from burning and heat this on medium heat.
Once this starts to bubble, stir this consistently to prevent the honey from burning, but don’t stir this too fast since the honey will crystallize if you do. This process might take a little while, so just be patient.
But once it starts foaming and the honey begins to cameralize, turn the heat down to low and let it cook for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the syrup from burning. Keep an eye on the pot since it might quickly bubble over. If it does, just take it off the heat for a few seconds to stop the bubbling and then return it to the heat.
We want to achieve as dark of a caramelization as possible without burning it, so continue to check the color every few minutes.
Step 3: Take Honey Off the Heat & Mix in Lime Zest-Cilantro-Lime Juice Mixture; Strain Cola Syrup from Cilantro Leaves & Chill in Fridge
Then, once that’s ready, take it off the heat and then add in your lime zest-cilantro-lime juice mixture into the hot honey and mix this well to infuse the flavors together. Give this a taste and add in more lime juice, as desired.
Then, let this mixture cool before straining the cola syrup from the cilantro leaves into a mason jar and optionally place this into the fridge for 10-20 minutes to help cool the mixture more.
This cola syrup will be good for about a week or so if kept in the fridge.
Step 4: Mix Cola Syrup w/ Sparkling Water, Serve w/ Ice as Desired, & Enjoy!
Then, to make the cola, in a bowl or mixing glass, slowly combine 6-8 tbsp cola syrup to 1 cup or so of sparkling water and use a chilled spoon to help dissolve the syrup without agitating the carbonation too much. Serve it in a glass filled with ice as desired, and with that, your Senku Cola is ready to drink.