Sparkling water and soda water are two different concepts, so there is a difference. However, due to the evolution of word meanings in daily communication, there may sometimes be some confusion and misunderstanding.
Sparkling water, in English, can be called carbonated water, sparkling water9, bubbly water or fizzy water. It means that there are bubbles in the water, but it does not indicate where the gas, or carbon dioxide, comes from. There are two sources of gas, one is from natural gas, and the other is artificially aerated, which is pressed into the water through a carbon dioxide pool. The difference in gas sources is the reason why the concepts of various types of water are different.
Sparkling water can be natural, that is, mineral water. Therefore, mineral water can be either aerated or non-aerated. Internationally, the content of “Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)” is used as a measure of mineral water, that is to say, how many minerals are in the water. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that mineral water must come from geographically or physically protected underground water sources, and the TDS value should not be less than 250 ppm (parts per million). Anything less than 250 is classified as spring water and cannot contain the word “mine”.
Because natural gas sparkling mineral water is derived from nature, a brand should only have one water/gas source, so it is more expensive. At this time, there is a relatively cheap alternative, which is sparkling water formed by adding carbon dioxide to ordinary water. This water is called seltzer. In other words, seltzer contains only water and gas, without minerals. In fact, the word seltzer comes from a natural sparkling mineral spring in Germany called Selters. However, nowadays, English is very “unfair” and uses seltzer to mean artificial sparkling water.
If you add sodium and/or potassium salts (including table salt and bicarbonate 9, also known as baking soda) to the seltzer, it becomes clubsoda. Why add these substances? Because these alkaline substances 9 can neutralize the acidity brought by carbon dioxide and imitate the mineral taste of sparkling mineral water. Compared to seltzer, it has a mineral taste, but not as heavy as mineral water.
At this time, the meaning of soda water is unclear. Because when commercially produced artificial sparkling water was born at the end of the 18th century, it was called soda water. But today, when some people say soda, they actually refer to seltzer, while others refer to club soda9. So if you are sensitive to mineral taste, it’s best to know which one you want.
