As a card-carrying Texan, I'm a Dr Pepper gal through and through. While I opt for the diet version of the popular soda these days, I'm no less nostalgic for and intrigued by the original's 23 secret (or maybe not so secret) flavors. To say the blend is shrouded in mystery would be an understatement.
The only other product to garner such interest in the secrets it keeps is KFC and its 11 secret herbs and spices . (Spoiler: The only relevant secret ingredient in that chicken is MSG.) But, the enigmatic ingredients in Dr Pepper are a bit murkier.
The only thing we know for certain is that it's absolutely, positively not prune. The speculation to that effect was so widespread that the pop giant buckled and listed a flat denial in their FAQ page. The ingredients they do give are carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, artificial and natural flavors, sodium benzoate, and caffeine, which is less than helpful.
A common list going around online also lists amaretto, almond, blackberry, black licorice, caramel, carrot, clove, cherry, cola, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange, plum, pepper, root beer/sarsaparilla, rum, raspberry, and vanilla. But, it also lists prune, so it's of questionable validity. Others ad apricot, birch, cardamom, allspice, coriander, wintergreen leaves, gentian root, cinnamon, star anise, and even tomato to the list.
The plot thickens To add mystery to intrigue, the original formula from the notebook of inventor an.