Sparkling Water

Let me tell you about Sparkling Water, and why it behaves nothing like still water in your glass or your bowl.

Open the bottle and listen first. A good one hisses sharp and short, and the bubbles race up in fine, steady strings. That's a water still full of life.

Choosing it is a matter of ears and eyes, not labels. Pour it and listen: a lively, fine crackle means the gas is fresh and plentiful. Watch the glass: steady bubbling tells you it still holds its fizz. If it pours flat and silent, with just a few lazy bubbles, the water has already given up its gas — through age, warmth or a loose cap.

Some people say Sparkling Water is just like still water, nothing more to it. No! Pour both side by side and taste: the sparkling one has a sharp, prickly bite that still water never has. Forget that, and you might skip it in batter or dough, missing a trick: stirred gently into tempura, pancake or fritter batter, it keeps the mix light and frothy. Pour it from the spoon and watch it fall light, almost lifting itself. Use cold, fresh, well-fizzed water, add it last, and stop stirring while you can still see froth on top.