Water and food

It is possible to pair water and food in the same way as you do with wine and food. For wine, the main rule is white wine for fish and red wine for meat. It’s a bit the same with water. Water with low mineral content goes well with fish and salads. High mineral water is better suited to heavy meat dishes.

How? 

When you pair water and food, you do it based on similarities or contrasts in taste and mouthfeel between the water and the food. If the food is fat and creamy, it will be nice to find a water with the same properties. The same goes for a light dish such as fish. Here it a water with the same light properties would be a good choice.

Features 

One can use the following three characteristics of the water when pairing it with food. The most powerful of the properties is mouthfeel, so it is usually the easiest to match by.

• Mouthfeel
• TDS (mineral content)
• pH value

TDS – mineral content

The mineral level in water can vary from aroun 0 mg/l to more than 13,000 mg/l. As we saw earlier, minerals help to give the water its taste, so it goes without saying that water with a low mineral content has more subtle taste than water with a high mineral content. Most of the minerals in water are salty, so the total mineral content naturally plays a major role in how the water should be paired with food.

It is important to emphasize that it is the food, its texture and taste that determine how to pair water and food.

As mentioned in the “Classification” section, the Fine Waters Society has made a classification of the mineral content in water. They have also tried to describe the taste characteristics of each category. The classification of the mineral content and the description of the flavors is a useful tool when trying to pair water and food.

pH-value

pH is a term for acid and base in the water. Water with a low pH will taste acidic, while water with a basic pH can be experienced as soft and sweet. Remember that CO2 makes the water acidic, so if a gourmet water producer has two products, one without and one with CO2, then the one with CO2 will have a lower pH and be more acidic.

The Fine Water Society has also classified the pH in water, which can be used to pair water and food.

pH value and taste

Water in cooking

Water can be used as a low-fat and healthy alternative to butter and oil in daily cooking. In the kitchens of several of the world’s large hotels, mineral water is used instead of butter and oil when preparing food for the guests. This is partly due to the guests’ desire for healthier and low-fat food, but also the fact that water contributes to improving the taste of many dishes. Here are some ideas on how to use water when preparing food. Remember that water with carbonation is more acidic than water without carbonation. Although the CO2 evaporates, the water will still retain its acidity.

Fry without fat

Mineral water is the calorie-free alternative to the usual fats. Heat carbonated mineral water in a hot pan until it boils. Brown the meat or fish in the water. If the moisture evaporates, add more mineral water.

Salad and vegetables

The French Michelin star chef Thierry Marx had the idea of using carbonated water as an alternative to be adding salt to water when boiling vegetables. When cooking vegetables in mineral water, it helps to preserve the color of the vegetables and make them more crisp. Mineral water with bicarbonate makes the vegetables more soft, thereby reducing cooking time, which means that you can maintain a higher vitamin content in the vegetables. In addition, water with bicarbonate has the advantage of having a slightly salted flavor. The slightly salty taste is transferred to the vegetables, so you do not need to add extra salt.

Mineral water with carbonation – as a substitute for oil – makes a salad dressing fresher and low in fat. If you fry vegetables with mineral water, the vegetables become more crunchy and their color is preserved and becomes more intense.

Soup and sauces

Mineral water makes soups and sauces more foamy and gives them more flavor, and at the same time you can avoid the cream.

Baking

Did you know that yeast contains sodium bicarbonate, which is also present in some mineral water? If you use mineral water that is high in bicarbonate, more carbon dioxide is created in your cake and the texture becomes more light and airy. Replace some of the milk with carbonated mineral water – the dough becomes better and extra light. The carbon dioxide acts as a leavening agent and is a natural substitute for baking soda.

Desserts

Carbonated mineral water makes quark, waffles and mousses more creamy and delicate, so you can cut down on the milk and cream. With a slightly mineralized mineral water, the natural taste is retained in the dessert.