08:59 PM CST on Friday, March 24, 2006

By Dan Lauck / 11 News

It's not stirring up the controversy that the creation of new Coke did but 11 News has learned of a border battle brewing over the popular soft drink.

As a result, the Coke you may be drinking could be illegal.

They named the restaurant La Mexicana, not the Mexican.

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You can taste the difference between Mexican and American Coke.

Here the food is genuine and the tortillas hand-rolled. What they serve is a flavor of old Mexico

In the cooler behind the bar the Cokes come from south of the border as they have for decades.

"Decades, yeah. I used to drink Mexican Cokes when I was little," said Brise Trevino of La Mexicana restaurant.

Mexico has the highest per-capita consumption of Coca-Cola of any country in the world and they like it the way it's made in Mexico.

The flavor's different.

The difference between American Coke and Mexican Coke is the sweetener. In America, they use high fructose corn syrup. In Mexico, they use beet or cane sugar and that beet or cane sugar gives it a sweeter taste.

In the farmer's markets companies like Reyes Produce sell thousands of cases of Mexican Coca-Cola every week.

Even though American bottlers are now importing and selling Mexican bottled and Mexican flavored Coke distributors like Gustavo Reyes still get most of their supply straight from Mexico because it's cheaper and the profit margin is better. >p>"Yes, we make more with Mexican Coke," he said.

Coke bottlers say they're losing millions of dollars in sales because Mexico's appetite for its sweeter, sugary Coca-Cola is undeniable.

"People who come from Mexico, that's what they grew up with. So they look for that stuff," said distributor Luis Solis, "Everywhere you go. Restraurants, taquerias, that's what they want."

Call it bootleg Coke if you like.

But to millions the words that matter are hecho in Mexico.